EARLY CANCER-DETECTION PROGRAMS FOR WOMEN AT HIGH-RISK FOR BREAST ANDOVARIAN-CANCER - A PROPOSAL OF PRACTICAL GUIDELINES

Women from families with multiple breast and/or ovarian cancers may be at increased risk to develop breast/ovarian cancer themselves, Due to personal experience with family members having these diseases they ar e anxious and ask for specific prophylactic measurements or treatment. The detection of two susceptibility genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, has given insight into the genetic background of part of the familial breast/ov arian cancer syndromes. This has led to an increased demand in genetic counselling, testing, and early cancer detection programmes. Prospect ive data from early cancer defection programmes in this high risk popu lation are yet not available, Based on data from epidemiological risk studies, breast and ovarian screening programmes and follow np data fr om breast cancer trials recommendations for an early cancer detection programme have been summarized, At the present these recommendations a re tested in a prospective trial.