NHS England is offering genetic testing of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes to people aged 18 years and over with Jewish ancestry – that is, people who have at least one Jewish grandparent of any type of Jewish ancestry.
A national engagement campaign to the Jewish population in England will encourage people to take up the offer of a BRCA test, which is a simple saliva test. Individuals can find out more and register for the test by registering online Jewish BRCA programme registration form or by calling the genetic counselling hotline number: 020 3437 6001.
BRCA refers to two genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2 that every one of us has. These genes play an important role in the prevention of cancer. Having a BRCA gene fault can increase the risk of developing certain types of cancer- specifically breast, ovarian, prostate and pancreatic cancer.
People with Jewish ancestry have a 1 in 40 risk of carrying a BRCA mutation compared to the general population risk of 1 in 250.
The aim of the programme is to identify more people with cancer predisposing genes and enrol them into appropriate surveillance and treatment pathways. This will lead to more cancers being prevented or detected earlier.
There is also an information page about BRCA for those interested in the programme and those who want more information on the implications of a positive result and the support services available.
Read more here: NHS England » NHS launches national BRCA gene testing programme to identify cancer risk early