Doctors call for genetic screening to prevent cancers

Doctors have called for genetic tests for the family members of patients with cancers to prevent the disease, which is often detected at an advanced stage. While addressing the media on September 12, 2022, at Delhi-AIIMS, they stressed that 90% of different cancers such as ovary and breast can be prevented through genetic testing. According to AIIMS, familial cancers account for around 5% of cancers in women, including breast, ovarian, colorectal and uterine cancers. Among genetic syndromes that may show gynaecological manifestations, hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) syndrome are most common, primarily characterized by mutations in BRCA1/2 genes.