Healthcare Professionals
Uncertain: What Does My Result Mean?
Genetic Variant of Uncertain Significance: Overview
If your test result is "Genetic Variant of Uncertain Significance":
- A change was detected in either your BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene but it is not known if this change is linked to cancer
- This change is called a "genetic variant of uncertain significance"
- Ongoing efforts to gather information about genetic variants of uncertain significance, such as the one identified in your test, will continue
- If new information becomes available about your variant, it will be sent to the doctor who ordered your test
Your Cancer Risks
- Your cancer risks should be estimated based on your family and personal history of cancer
- Your doctor can help you understand these risks
- It is still possible that your cancer risks could be above average due to:
- Other non-hereditary factors, such as your environment
- Another hereditary cancer syndrome that this test does not cover
- A mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 that current technology cannot detect
On to "Uncertain: What should I do now?"
"Estimates of the incidence of hereditary breast cancer range from between 5 to 10 percent to as many as 27 percent of all breast cancers."
- The National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health
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