Question

Couple questions regarding the ethics of breast cancer screenings and tests. Open to opinions and/or factual answers.

a) If either a women or her mother tested positive for a BRCA gene mutation that increases the risk of developing breast cancer in the future, is a prophylactic double mastectomy appropriate?

b) What are the issues surrounding these types of tests, how should these issues be addressed, and who should have access to these test results?

c) Should the women's daughter (who is 8) have a right to know the test results of her mother and grandmother? What about when she is 16?

d) Should these kinds of breast cancer tests and screenings be mandatory? Why or why not?

Thanks, hope to hear your thoughts.

Answer 1

BRCA genes the kind of genes that results into the formation of tumor supressor proteins. These BRCA1 and BECA2 genes are responsible for maintaining DNA stability as these genes play an essential role in treating the damaged DNA. Mutations in these genes can result into formation of 2 types of cancer i.e. breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

a) If either a women or her mother tested positive for BRCA gene mutation, it means she has an increased risk of developing breast cancer in future therefore, Prophylactic double mastectomy can be beneficial only to certain extents. As it is not a complete preventive measure, instead it might just reduce the risk of forming breast cancer. Prophylactic Mastectomy basically deals with the removal of those tissues which are considered to be at risky stages. However this procedure doesnot gives any sureity that no cancer may develop in future as there are still chances of presence of these tissues. It reduces the risk instead.

b) In general the issues associated with such tests is that it doesnot ensures any form of guarantee that the complete risk of cancer is avoided. However, it just reduces the risk therefore it completely depends on the person whether to undergo such procedures or not. And the results of such tests should be handovered to concerned family members at the earliest possilbe for proper early treatment.

c) A women with positive BRCA mutations has the authority of whether telling her child with such critical information or not. It completely depends on the mother and not with the age of the child. In general it is considered more appropriate to share such informations with child who is 16 years of age as she is considered mature enough to handle and deal with such information. Every daughter however has the right to know the results of such tests.

d) Breast cancer tests and screening should be mandatory such that common public could find associated problems at early stages. As when these problems are diagnosed at early stages, there are substantial chances of dealing with them however, if such tests are not mandated then these problems are known by the concerned public and it ultimately leads to progression into later stages where there is no chance of survival. Therefore it is better to perform screening tests before hand, so as to know and deal with such issues. Because the more early the women gets to know that she has risks of developing cancer, the more she has chances to lower down the risks assoiciated with it via proper medical intervention.