People in England with Jewish ancestry are being offered a test to detect the risk of cancer
Tens of thousands of people in England with Jewish heritage, who are at higher risk of developing certain cancers, will be offered a genetic test on the NHS.
People of Jewish descent are about six times more likely to have errors in their BRCA genes than the general population. The new plan is part of a national effort by health leaders to identify more people at higher risk for cancer in an effort to detect and treat the disease earlier.
BRCA refers to two genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, which repair DNA damage and normally help protect against cancer. Some people are born with a fault in one of their genes, which makes them more likely to develop certain cancers, including breast, ovarian, prostate and pancreatic cancer.
A fault in one of the BRCA genes affects around one in 400 people, but the NHS said people of Jewish heritage were six times more likely to carry the faults.
NHS England is introducing a national BRCA gene testing program to detect changes that increase the risk of cancer, offering a simple saliva test to anyone over 18 with Jewish heritage. Saliva samples are collected at home and then sent to a laboratory for testing.
Anyone with a Jewish grandparent can sign up for a saliva kit when visiting Jewish BRCA.
The program aims to identify thousands more people who carry errors in the BRCA genes over the next two years. They could have regular scans to monitor tumor growth and access treatment more quickly if necessary. NHS England expects to test around 30,000 people over the next two years.
Peter Johnson, NHS England’s national cancer clinical director, said: “We know it can be daunting to find out whether or not you have an altered BRCA gene, and some people may feel they would rather not know , but finding out early means people can get the support they need from the NHS.
“We want as many people as possible to benefit from this testing programme, so please come forward for a simple saliva test if you are eligible. Most people will not have an altered gene, but if you do, the NHS can provide you with further testing, surveillance or treatment as quickly as possible.”
Nicole Gordon, the chief executive of the charity Jnetics, said the gene testing program would “provide a huge opportunity for the Jewish community to gain the knowledge that will help mitigate the impact of hereditary cancer and ultimately save lives”.
Lisa Steele, the CEO of the charity Chai Cancer Care, described the launch as “a milestone moment”.
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