"Over the the next five years, up to 100,000 people in Ontario will be screened for genetic conditions that increase their risk of hereditary cancers and a condition tied to high cholesterol and heart disease, says Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. In what the hospital calls one of the largest population genomics studies in Canada, the project combines screening results to allow participants and their healthcare team to make decisions to potentially delay, reduce or prevent cancer and heart disease."
"The first participants will be cancer patients at the hospital who may carry genetic risks that could influence their treatment or how they're monitored, said Dr. Raymond Kim, medical director of cancer early detection at Princess Margaret. "Yes, these patients do have cancer, but we don't know their genetic makeup," Kim said. "Knowing their genetic makeup helps them to see if we [doctors] have to be concerned about any other cancer.""
Up to 100,000 people in Ontario will be screened over five years for genetic conditions linked to hereditary cancers and a gene associated with high cholesterol and heart disease. The program will combine screening results to enable participants and their healthcare teams to make decisions to delay, reduce or prevent cancer and heart disease. Researchers will build a rich dataset to analyze alongside patient information and identify disproportionate health risks. Initial participants will be cancer patients whose genetic findings could affect treatment and monitoring. Examples include early breast surveillance for BRCA mutations and colonoscopies for Lynch syndrome. A patient with advanced ovarian cancer received mutation screening despite no strong immediate family history.
Read at www.cbc.ca
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