Guidelines Miss Hereditary Cancer in Men

By Sheila Scott · Jun 2019

A study published in JAMA Oncology found that 17% of patients with prostate cancer carried genetic mutations associated with increased cancer risk. It also found that NCCN genetic testing guidelines in place at the time missed a substantial number of patients with hereditary mutations.

Hereditary Cancer Is Routinely Missed in Men

Although men and women are equally likely to carry hereditary cancer mutations, over 96% of patients undergoing hereditary cancer multi-gene panel testing are women. Decades of breast cancer awareness campaigns have inadvertently given many people the impression that hereditary cancer is primarily a women's health issue. In fact, men can get breast cancer too — a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation increases a man's lifetime breast cancer risk by about 8 times average. The same mutations also increase risks for prostate, pancreatic, and other cancers.

What Matters for Family History Assessment

Clues to inherited cancer risk come from personal and family history on both sides of the family. Key details: how each person is related, the type of cancer, age at diagnosis, and whether any family members have tested positive for a hereditary mutation. Men with concerns about their family history of cancer — or who have been diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer — can schedule a genetic counseling appointment without a physician referral.