Why genetics is changing cancer care:
A big part of my work is around genetic risk. About 12% of cancers have a known underlying DNA alteration which, over a lifetime, will increase cancer risk.
They’re the population I really want to identify in my clinic because they’re women and men who may develop cancer under the age of the national screening programmes.
They won’t be picked up through screening in the majority of cases.
I developed mainstream testing pathways in Vincent’s. It’s the first hospital in Ireland bringing genetic testing for high-risk patients to an earlier point of care across breast, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate and GI cancers.
A healthy person who’s doing all [the right things] can still develop cancer. One in two people in Ireland, during their lifetime, will have a cancer diagnosis.
Lynch syndrome for example, [an inherited genetic condition] which is pretty common in Ireland, increases uterine cancer(as well as other risks) risk for a woman by up to 50%, depending on the variant. It’s an area where there’s a lot of clinical research, which is a real positive because, for many years, there hadn’t been as much by way of clinical trials or new treatment opportunities for women. We’re seeing a big change now and a lot of new drug options coming online.
Being an oncologist has made me more aware of what is within my control and what’s outside my control.
People are living longer with cancer. If it’s not curable, it can still be treated.
https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/healthandwellbeing/arid-41895703.html
Lynch Syndrome Ireland 