Some B.C. breast cancer patients and their families could spend dramatically less time waiting to see if they have inherited cancerous mutations thanks to a new DNA screening technology.
The NextGen DNA sequencing technology allows for more comprehensive testing of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 breast cancer genes that could cut patient waiting times from six months to two months by next year.
"The difference here now is rather than sequencing (DNA) 50 samples at a time, we're sequencing millions and millions of DNA at a time," said Dr. Aly Karsan, medical director at the Centre for Clinical Diagnostic Genomics which handles the testing.
"We had estimated that we would probably need to do twice as many tests as we're currently doing and possibly more.
"I think within a year we could do that (with NextGen)."
A woman who inherits a mutation in either of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes is at a greater lifetime risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer.
The sooner this new technique tests women with breast or ovarian cancer for these mutations, the sooner "they and close family members who may also have inherited the same abnormality can take preventative action," said a provincial government news release.
About 550 patients are screened each year for the mutations.
Two years ago, Genome B.C. and the Provincial Health Services Authority paid $400,000 for the equipment and software to store and analyze the data.