An honest breakdown of genetic testing: what DNA tests can and cannot tell you, accuracy data, privacy risks, and when testing is actually worth the money.
1-Mar 2026·15 min read
Cancer Genetics
Understanding genetic predispositions to cancer. From BRCA1/BRCA2 breast cancer genes to EGFR, KRAS, TP53, and HER2 — learn what your DNA reveals about cancer risk and targeted therapies.
14 articles
Cancer genetics is one of the most impactful areas of genomic medicine, revealing how inherited DNA variants can significantly alter a person's lifetime risk of developing various cancers. While most cancers arise from acquired somatic mutations, approximately 5–10% of all cancers are driven by germline variants that are passed from parent to child and can be detected through a simple DNA test.
The most well-known cancer genes are BRCA1 and BRCA2. Women carrying pathogenic variants in these genes face a lifetime breast cancer risk of 45–72%, compared to roughly 12% in the general population, and an ovarian cancer risk of up to 44%. But BRCA is just the beginning — BRCA mutations also increase risk for prostate and pancreatic cancer in men. Genetic testing for BRCA variants has become standard of care, enabling preventive strategies ranging from enhanced screening to prophylactic surgery, as famously demonstrated by Angelina Jolie's preventive double mastectomy in 2013.
Beyond BRCA, the landscape of cancer genetics includes tumor suppressor genes like TP53 (Li-Fraumeni syndrome, conferring near-100% lifetime cancer risk), APC (familial adenomatous polyposis and colorectal cancer), and mismatch repair genes MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2 (Lynch syndrome, which increases risk for colorectal, endometrial, ovarian, and gastric cancers). Oncogenes such as EGFR, KRAS, and HER2, while primarily relevant in somatic tumor profiling, also have germline variants that inform hereditary cancer risk and guide treatment selection through targeted therapies like trastuzumab and erlotinib.
Understanding your genetic predisposition to cancer empowers you to take proactive steps — whether that means more frequent screenings, lifestyle modifications, chemoprevention, or discussing risk-reducing procedures with your oncologist. By uploading your DNA data to Ask My DNA, you can check key cancer-associated variants and begin a data-driven conversation about your personal risk profile.
Complete guide to pd-l1 expression immunotherapy response. Learn about genetic mechanisms, health impact, testing options, and personalized strategies.
1-Mar 2026·27 min read
Complete guide to tmb tumor mutational burden immunotherapy. Learn about genetic mechanisms, health impact, testing options, and personalized strategies.
28-Feb 2026·9 min read
Complete guide to msi microsatellite instability immunotherapy. Learn about genetic mechanisms, health impact, testing options, and personalized strategies.
27-Feb 2026·30 min read
Complete guide to her2 breast cancer targeted therapy. Learn about genetic mechanisms, health impact, testing options, and personalized strategies.
26-Feb 2026·19 min read
Complete guide to egfr mutation lung cancer treatment. Learn about genetic mechanisms, health impact, testing options, and personalized strategies.
25-Feb 2026·22 min read
Complete guide to kras mutation targeted therapy. Learn about genetic mechanisms, health impact, testing options, and personalized strategies.
24-Feb 2026·37 min read
Complete guide to tp53 cancer guardian genome. Learn about genetic mechanisms, health impact, testing options, and personalized strategies.
23-Feb 2026·15 min read
Complete guide to bcl2 apoptosis cancer genetics. Learn about genetic mechanisms, health impact, testing options, and personalized strategies.
22-Feb 2026·24 min read
Comprehensive guide to BRCA and ovarian cancer. Learn about BRCA1/BRCA2 ovarian risk, screening protocols, risk-reducing surgery, oral contraceptives, and prevention strategies.
12-Feb 2026·21 min read
Complete guide to prostate cancer genetics. Learn about BRCA2, HOXB13, ATM genes, hereditary prostate cancer risk, screening guidelines, and prevention strategies.
27-Dec 2025·35 min read
Complete guide to breast cancer genetics. Learn about BRCA1, BRCA2 mutations, hereditary cancer risk, screening recommendations, prevention options, and family planning.
26-Dec 2025·33 min read
Complete guide to Lynch syndrome genetics. Learn about MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2 gene mutations, hereditary colon cancer risk, and screening recommendations.
29-Nov 2025·27 min read
Comprehensive BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation guide. Learn about cancer screening schedules, prevention options, genetic counseling, and daily life decisions.
17-Oct 2025·29 min read