In May 2013, Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie made headlines when she announced that she had undergone a preventive double mastectomy. ...
In May 2013, Hollywood actress Angelina
Jolie made headlines when she announced that she had undergone a preventive
double mastectomy. Her controversial decision came after test results showed
that she had 87 percent of getting breast and ovarian cancer because of a
high-risk gene.
Since
then, Jolie’s health issue has brought the issue of hereditary cancer to the
fore, encouraging women all over the world to get tested and seek
consultations. Dubbed “the Angelina Jolie effect,” researchers found that
testing rates increased from about 350 a week prior to Jolie’s news to about
500 a week after her announcement, reflecting a 40 percent increase.
Health experts welcomed this surge in cancer awareness
and spur of action, especially since cancer does run in some families. Approximately
5 to 10 percent of all cancers develop because a person inherited a genetic mutation
in a way that encourages the disease to grow, according to Myriad Genetics.
Myriad is the company that offered BRACAnalysis, the test used by Jolie to determine her cancer risk.
As the
demand for more comprehensive gene tests soared, Myriad has launched a new
multi-hereditary cancer panel, called myRisk Hereditary Cancer. Currently, this
globally-renowned test is being exclusively provided in the Philippines by
Hi-Precision Diagnostics (HPD), the
leading diagnostics center in the country.
“Individuals with certain genetic mutations are far
more likely to develop cancer, often at a much earlier age than most people. As
such, knowing
a patient’s genetic makeup can help reduce risks and lead to the correct
management of the disease,” said Dr.
Karl T. Morales, a Surgical Oncology & General Surgery doctor and a Fellow
of American College of Surgeons.
Myriad myRisk is a risk assessment test that detects
gene mutations associated with eight major cancers. This includes cancer of the
breast, ovarian, gastric, colorectal, pancreatic, melanoma, prostate and
endometrial, which can all be associated with a single gene.
“What makes Myriad myRisk different from other tests
is that this is the only hereditary cancer test combining your genetic
information with your personal and family history, in order to generate
guideline-based management options to help you lower cancer risks,” Dr. Morales
said.
He clarified that Myriad myRisk does not determine
whether one has cancer – rather, the test looks at multiple genes that impact
inherited risks for eight important cancers. Testing multiple genes helps avoid
missing a possible cancer-causing mutation. “These test results provide
critical information for your healthcare provider to make optimal medical
decisions and take action in building a personalized cancer risk-reduction plan,”
Ong-Sue added.
If one tests positive in the myRisk test, it means the
individual carries a genetic mutation that increases cancer risk. The myRisk
report is a helpful tool to understand a patient’s options, leading to management
recommendations for specific cancer risks. With these recommendations, the
patient and healthcare provider discuss and determine the right course of
management, including improved screenings, preventive medication, and
risk-reducing procedures.
Considered to be the global benchmark in accuracy and in
offering fast turnaround time for panel testing, Myriad myRisk is among the
range of special diagnostic tests that HPD offers.
Currently, HPD is one of the widest networks of
diagnostics centers in the country. “We want to make the most comprehensive
diagnostics services with the latest testing technologies accessible to more
Filipinos, because we believe everyone deserves high quality healthcare,” HPD
Vice President for Sales and Marketing
Melissa
OngSue-Lee said.
Known to be a pioneer in the industry, HPD continues
to innovate service delivery to its clients. Its facilities, furnished with
state-of-the art equipment and software, are manned by highly trained, licensed
professional medical technologists who conduct integrated and fully automated
laboratory, imaging, and special tests, as well as other forms of examinations.
For more information about Hi-Precision Diagnostics,
the Myriad myRisk Hereditary Cancer test, as well as other diagnostic tests,
visit www.hi-precision.com.ph or contact their hotlines, (02) 741-7777 or (02)
863-9999.
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