Whata positive result means

If your predictive genetic test result is positive, it means you have a faulty gene that raises your risk of developing cancer.

It doesn'tmean you are guaranteed to get canceryour genes only partly influence your future health risks. Other factors, such as your medical history, lifestyle and your environment, also play a role.

If you have one of thefaulty BRCA genes, there is a 50% chance you will passthis on toany children you have and a 50% chance that each of your siblings also has it.

You may want to discuss your results with other members of your family, who may also be affected.The genetics clinic will discuss with you how a positive or negative result will affect your life and your relationships with your family.

You can read more about this in the beginner's guide to BRCA1 and BRCA2 (PDF, 866kb) produced by The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.

Insurance companies cannot ask you to disclose theresults of predictive genetic tests for the majority of policies, but this may change in the future.

Content supplied by the NHS Website

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018