Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (MFHP: Cancer)

Print
Related Pages

Personal and family health history risk factors for “Increased Risk” output

  1. You have a personal history of breast cancer.
  2. Any of your first-degree relatives (parents, siblings, children) had breast cancer.
  3. You or any relative (parent, sibling, half-sibling, child, grandparent, aunt, uncle) had ovarian, peritoneal, or fallopian tube cancer.
  4. You or any relative had pancreatic cancer.
  5. You or any relative had prostate cancer.
  6. You or any relative had breast cancer before age 40.
  7. You or any relative had breast cancer before age 50.
  8. You or any relative had triple-negative breast cancer.
  9. You or any relative had breast cancer before age 60.
  10. You or any relative had breast cancer in both breasts.
  11. You or a family member had male breast cancer.
  12. You are Ashkenazi/Eastern European Jewish.
  13. You or a relative has a known BRCA1, BRCA2 or other pathogenic (disease-causing) mutation.
  14. If “Check here if your parents are related to each other in any way other than marriage” is NOT checked
  • The following people had one or more of the cancers listed below (can be different for each person):

If “Check here if your parents are related to each other in any way other than marriage” IS checked

  • The following people had one or more of the cancers listed below (can be different for each person):
    • You and two or more relatives OR
    • Three or more relatives OR
    • Three or more occurrences (in other words, one person has more than one type of cancer)
      • Breast
      • Brain
      • Colon
      • Endometrial/uterine
      • Gastric (stomach)
      • Kidney
      • Leukemia
      • Pancreatic
      • Prostate
      • Thyroid

“What to do next” output

  • All outputs include links to Learn more about hereditary breast and ovarian cancer and Learn about genetic testing and counseling
  • If any are positive, output is “Increased Risk”
  • If #1 is positive and #2–14 are negative or positive
    • Talk with your healthcare provider about
      • Your risk and family history of cancer
      • Appropriate follow-up care and screening
    • Share this information with your family members
  • If you are female and #2 is positive and #1 and #3–14 are negative
    • If your first-degree relative had breast cancer and you are under age 40
      • Talk with your healthcare provider about
        • Your risk and family history of cancer
        • When to start mammograms or other screening
        • If genetic counseling and screening are right for you
      • Share this information with your family members
    • If your first-degree relative had breast cancer and you are between ages 40–49
      • Talk with your healthcare provider about
        • Your risk and family history of cancer
        • When to start mammograms or other screening, if you have not already started
        • If genetic counseling and screening are right for you
      • Share this information with your family members
    • If your first-degree relative had breast cancer and you are age 50 or over
      • Talk with your healthcare provider about
        • Your risk and family history of cancer
        • Starting mammograms or other screening if you are not already getting them
        • If genetic counseling and screening are right for you
      • Share this information with your family members
  • If #1–2 are negative and one or more of #3–14 are positive
    • Talk with your healthcare provider about
      • Your risk and family history of cancer
      • Appropriate screening and follow-up
      • If genetic counseling and screening are right for you
    • Share this information with your family members
  • If you are male and none are positive or only #2 is positive
    • Be sure to update your family history with any new cancer diagnoses
    • Share this information with your family members
  • If you are female and none are positive
    • Be sure to update your family history with any new cancer diagnoses
    • Start getting mammograms at age 50

This algorithm is based on information from