BRCA1 and BRCA2 Genetic Testing - Your Questions Answered by Patricia Moore

In the United States, 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women around the world and second leading cause of death after heart disease. Although men have a lower risk, an estimated 2,150 men are diagnosed every year. Risk factors for getting the disease can be genetic or environmental or both, however it is important to note that 60 to 70% of people with breast cancer have no connection to these risk factors at all and some with risk factors may never develop the cancer.

Today our host sits down with Nurse Practitioner, Patricia Moore, who co-authored the article Genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 alongside Dr. Cathy Kessenich and Kathryn Bacher.

Patricia Moore MSN ARNP

Patti is a Nurse Practitioner in Tampa Florida, practicing in Women's Health for the past 10 years. She is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Tampa. Patti first became interested in Bracanalysis when she learned that 5% of the population carries the Brca 1& 2 Gene which predisposes a person up to a 44%risk for developing ovarian cancer and an 87% chance risk for developing breast cancer over a lifetime. 

Since then Women’s Care Florida has tested hundreds of patients with strong family histories for the associated cancers, all of whom have been thankful to be able to stratify their risk and benefit from increased surveillance and management.