WASHINGTON — A biotech company today will begin offering the first genetic test to assess a woman’s risk for the most common forms of breast cancer.
The test by deCODE genetics of Reykjavik, Iceland, promises to determine a woman’s risk through a simple blood sample or cheek swab. Previously, the only tests for breast cancer risk were for relatively rare genes, leaving most women with no way to assess their individual genetic predisposition.
While welcomed by some patient advocates and doctors, the $1,625 test raises concerns among others. Some questioned its reliability, while others worried the results could either lull women into a false sense of complacency or needlessly alarm them, prompting them to take unnecessary tests or undergo unneeded surgery.
