ASBS Recommends Genetic Testing for ALL Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer

By Patricia Thompson · Mar 2019

The American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBS) updated its guidelines to state that genetic testing should be made available to all patients with a personal history of breast cancer — a significant expansion from the prior criteria that limited recommendations to women diagnosed under 50 or with certain breast cancer subtypes.

Examining this change through Wilson and Jungner's public health screening criteria helps clarify the reasoning. Breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women over their lifetime. Treatment facilities are widely available. The cost of genetic testing has dropped dramatically. And identifying a hereditary mutation can guide more effective treatment, prevent secondary cancers, and identify at-risk family members — making earlier testing cost-effective over the long run.

The US Preventive Services Task Force still advises genetic testing only for those with a suspicious family history — a more conservative position. The ASBS goes further. Where there is genetic testing, there should be genetic counseling: genetic counselors are trained in both the psychosocial and medical aspects of genetic disease, and are well-equipped to guide a patient through the decision-making process.