Hereditary Cancer

Hereditary Cancer

Hereditary cancers make up about 10% of cancers and occur when a gene mutation that increases cancer risk is passed down from a parent to a child.

Being born with these gene mutations means a person has a higher chance of being diagnosed with certain types of cancer and diagnosis may occur at younger-than-average ages.

What You Need to Know about Hereditary Cancer

Currently only 5% of the 50,000 British Columbians who carry an inherited gene have been identified. Some of the most well-known inherited mutations include BRCA1 and BRCA2, which significantly increase the risk of breast, ovarian, pancreatic and other cancers.

Families with hereditary cancer are more likely to have:

• Several people with the same type(s) of cancer
• Cancer in relatives over more than one generation (for example, grandparents and parents)
• Cancer that starts at earlier ages than is common for that type of cancer (for example, breast or colon cancer before age 50)
• People with more than one cancer diagnosis
• People with less common cancers

BC Cancer’s Hereditary Cancer Program (HCP), co-led by medical geneticist Dr. Kasmintan (Intan) Schrader and medical oncologist Dr. Sophie Sun, offers genetic counselling and testing to families who may have inherited an increased risk for certain types of cancer. The HCP provides patients with critical resources and information about their genetic risk for cancer, enabling them to take proactive steps for prevention and early detection.

How is BC Cancer Advancing Hereditary Cancer Research and Treatment?

Thanks to donors’ generosity, thousands of families at high risk of developing hereditary cancer are being identified, screened and receiving personalized care.

Increased Access to Genetic Testing

The Diamond Foundation’s historic $7.2 million donation is helping BC Cancer advance innovation and testing for hereditary cancers by:

• Promoting and offering genetic testing to people of Jewish descent, who are 10 times more likely to carry a BRCA mutation
• Providing immediate genetic testing for breast cancer patients 60 and under, eliminating the need for a referral and increasing access for underrepresented groups, including Indigenous populations
• Launched Canada’s first outreach program to directly contact relatives of individuals identified as high risk, increasing genetic testing rates and easing the burden on patients

Dedicated Spaces for Hereditary Cancer Support

The Diamond Foundation Hereditary Cancer Centre in Vancouver offers enhanced services, space for new clinical trials and supports a first-in-Canada initiative to directly contact relatives of people with a hereditary cancer. As well, BC Cancer – Victoria’s Ernie & Yvonne Yakimovich Integrated Care and Research Pavilion will provide dedicated space for hereditary counselling and supportive care programs.

Faster Genetic Testing for Ovarian Cancer

In partnership with the Gynecologic Cancer Initiative, BC Cancer launched an online portal in 2022 that reduced genetic testing wait times for hereditary BRCA-related ovarian cancer from over 18 months to three months.

The Familial Pancreatic Cancer Program (FPCP)

FPCP accelerates BRCA testing for individuals at increased risk of pancreatic cancer, aiding in early detection and guiding more effective chemotherapy. The program has identified inherited susceptibility genes in nearly 10% of tested patients, empowering them to make informed decisions about their treatment and care.

Parent-of-Origin Genomic Analysis (POAga)

Developed by BC Cancer in 2022, POAga identifies which side of the family a genetic mutation comes from with 99% accuracy using only the child’s blood sample. This world-first innovation speeds up testing by prioritizing one side of the family and can also detect mutations missed by standard testing. POAga is being used in several research projects to improve the standard of genetic testing for a range of cancers including breast, ovarian and pancreatic.