We received a great question from a friend of a patient asking, “since she knows she has a BRCA mutation, is it necessary to find out if she also has the KRAS-variant? Would it change her cancer prevention strategies?”
No, it’s not necessary. Management for BRCA mutant patients is very well established and having the KRAS-variant wouldn’t change any of those recommendations. However, if she has family members who are tested negative for BRCA mutations, they may want to be considered for testing for the KRAS-variant — because many families have both mutations. With a negative BRCA test, they may think there are no increased risks for cancer, when in fact if they have the KRAS-variant, they would still be considered an increased risk. Thanks so much for the questions.
~Dr. Joanne Weidhaas
Do you have a question for Dr. Joanne? Email info@mirakind.org
