Q. I already know I have a family history of cancer. Why should I get tested?
A. Testing for a hereditary cancer risk helps you and your healthcare professional understand your risk so you can make the best choices for preventive care. Knowing your family history is an important first step, but testing can give you a more accurate picture of your risk.
Q. I already have cancer. Why should I get tested?
A. Testing for hereditary cancer syndrome helps you and your healthcare professional understand your risk for developing a second primary cancer. This information can allow you and your doctor to make the best choices for preventive care and manage your cancer treatment better.
Q. Is testing recommended for everyone?
A. While testing is the most accurate way to determine the risk of hereditary cancer, only people who have cancer in their family or a personal history of the disease need to be tested. If you have had cancer and/or cancer runs in your family, let your healthcare professional know. To help you assess whether you may benefit from hereditary cancer
genetic testing, take the Myriad Hereditary Cancer Quiz. This simple, 30-second quiz can help you get the information you need to discuss your risk of cancer with your healthcare professional and ask for further evaluation.
Q. How do I get tested?
A. Ask your healthcare professional if testing is right for you. If so, your healthcare professional will draw a small amount of your blood or take a saliva sample and send it to Myriad Genetic Laboratories for analysis.
Q. How long does it take to get the test results?
A. Your healthcare professional will let you know your test results as soon as they are available, which may be as soon as two weeks from the date your test is performed.
Q. Does a positive test result mean that I have cancer?
A. No. Genetic testing (myRisk/ BRAnalysis) does not tell you if you currently have cancer. Your test results will tell you about your inherited risk of developing cancer in the future. If you already have cancer, the genetic test will tell you your risk of getting a second primary cancer.
Q. Does a positive test result mean that I will definitely develop cancer?
A. No. A positive test result simply tells you that you have an increased risk of cancer.
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