Q. Why should I learn if I am high risk?
A. If you know you’re high risk for breast cancer, you can begin screening for the disease at an earlier age. This is important, because if found early, breast cancer survival rates can reach nearly 100 percent. Plus, through a high-risk program, you and your doctor can work together to develop a proactive action plan for your particular risk, including increased surveillance (mammograms, MRIs and check ups) lifestyle and dietary changes, complementary and alternative medicine and individualized support. In addition, if you’re diagnosed with breast cancer, you may be able to reduce your chances of developing a second cancer.

Q. If I am high risk, does this mean I will develop breast cancer?
A. Just because you have a high risk of developing breast cancer, doesn’t mean you’ll develop the disease — only that your chances are greater than the general population. For example, approximately 12 percent of women in the United States, or one in eight, will be diagnosed with breast cancer sometime in their lives. If you’re found to have the genetic abnormalities linked to hereditary breast cancer, you’re chances can reach 80 percent. And if you have a first-degree relative with breast cancer (mother, daughter, sister), your risk doubles. However, some women who have one or more risk factors never develop breast cancer. And many women diagnosed with breast cancer have no risk factors.

Q. If I am high risk, how can I reduce my chances of developing breast cancer?
A. If you’re high risk, research has shown that proactive management can reduce your chances of developing breast cancer by up to 90 percent. Therefore, it’s critical to find a healthcare provider or program that specializes in high-risk breast cancer. Increased surveillance (check ups and tests), dietary and lifestyle changes and complementary and alternative medicine can all help reduce your risk of developing breast cancer. In fact, certain women with an especially high risk of breast cancer should get magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans along with their yearly mammogram, or at an earlier age, according to a new American Cancer Society guideline. The two tests together give doctors a better chance of finding breast cancer early in these women, when it is easier to treat and the chance of survival is greater.

Q. Why should I worry about breast cancer before the age of 40?
A. If you have abnormalities in your BRCA genes, you’re up to 25 times more likely to develop breast cancer before the age of 50. And if you do, your cancer may be more aggressive than those found in older women. Today, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women 25-49 years of age, with more than 11,000 younger women dying from the disease each year. Knowing your risk can help you make informed decisions to reduce your chances of developing cancer, especially if you are over the age of 40, as your odds of developing breast cancer increase as you age.

Q. If I've already had cancer, what does it mean if I’m high risk for breast cancer?
A. A woman who has had cancer in one breast has a greater chance of developing a new cancer in the other breast, or in another part of the same breast. People with BRCA gene abnormalities are also at a greater risk of developing a new cancer, either in the ovaries or breast. Plus, women who have had radiation treatment to the chest area (for another cancer) have a greatly increased risk of breast cancer. Knowing your risk can help you take proactive steps, such as more frequent mammograms or MRIs, to reduce this risk, or detect another potential cancer at an earlier, more treatable stage.

Q. How will learning my risk help other family members?
A. BRCA1 and BRCA2 abnormalities are passed on in a family. If these genetic abnormalities are identified in you, your close blood relatives (parents, children, brothers and sisters) have a 50 percent chance of having the same risk. More distant relatives (cousins, uncles and aunts) also have a chance of developing hereditary breast cancer. Generally, the genetic abnormality is only found on the side of your family (father's or mother's) that has the history of breast and ovarian cancer. Your relatives can receive genetic testing immediately to determine if they’re also high risk. If they are, they can take action to manage their risk — possibly saving their lives.

Q. Is genetic testing appropriate for men, as well?
A. Men should consider testing if they have a personal history of breast cancer, a family history of breast or ovarian cancer or a family member with BRCA1 or BRCA2 abnormalities. Although male breast cancer is rare, men who carry BRCA abnormalities are more likely to develop breast cancer and prostate cancer. They also have a 50 percent chance of passing it on to their children — whether or not they've been diagnosed with cancer.