Health Watch is a Public Service of the Office of News and Publications and is intended to provide general information only and should not replace the advice of a medical professional. You should contact your physician if you have questions about any of these topics.
This week on Health Watch, we're talking about cancers that affect women. Your chances for developing breast or ovarian cancer may vary widely, depending on your genes. Researchers have found that women who have a mutation in certain genes have a 90 percent chance of developing breast or ovarian cancer. Women without this gene mutation have only about a 10 percent chance of developing breast cancer and a less than 2 percent chance of developing ovarian cancer.
Dr. David Miller, a gynecologic oncologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center, says this is why it's important for a woman to know her family history. If history and genetic screening show an increased risk, a woman can work with her doctor to take measures to protect herself, such as more diligent screening, medication or preventive surgery.
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October 2006
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