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The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has conducted around 30 risk reduction surgeries in the last three years on patients who were found to be carrying a cancer-causing gene.
According to Dr SVS Deo, Head of Surgical Oncology at AIIMS, New Delhi and National Cancer Institute, Jhajjar, these surgeries were conducted to prevent the risk of cancer in these women.
“We did this only on a select group of women after detecting cancer-causing genes in them. Under risk-reducing surgery, a cancer surgeon removes the normal breasts which are at risk of cancer and can simultaneously perform breast reconstructive surgery and create new breasts,” said Dr SVS Deo.
He said that this testing not only helps breast cancer patients in the prevention of cancer in other the breast and ovary but also the family members, including sisters and daughters of the patient, who can undergo genetic testing to know their risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer.
“Famous Hollywood actress also Angelina Jolie opted for this intervention and leading a successful life free of cancer,” he said.
“Majority of the patents were young and educated women and 90 per cent had genetic defects in BRCA genes. Most of these patients had implant-based reconstruction,” Dr Deo said.
He added that none of the patients developed breast cancer or ovarian cancer after risk reducing surgery. Currently, genetic testing costs approximately Rs 15,000 and a pair of breast implants cost Rs 50,000.
Dr Deo added that similarly to prevent ovarian cancer, women with genetic defects can undergo removal of both the ovaries along with Fallopian tubes after child birth. “This method is 95 per cent successful in prevention of cancer,” he said.
“Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in India and a 40 per cent increase in breast cancer burden has been witnessed in the last 20 years. As many as 1.5 lackh new breast cancer cases are diagnosed in India every year,” said Dr Deo.
Approximately 10 per cent of breast cancers are due to genetic defects (mutations) and can run in families. That means a woman with a genetic defect has a 70 to 80 per cent chance of developing breast cancer or ovarian cancer in her lifetime.
Available at AIIMS, these simple and affordable genetic tests can detect genetic defects.
Most common defective genes are BRCA1 and BRCA2.
“However genetic testing is a complex process and should be done in consultation with medical experts and genetic counsellors. This is a relatively new and fast growing field in oncology and there is a need to increase awareness among doctors , patients and the general public,” Dr Deo further added.
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