Myriad Genetics has entered into an agreement with Mammography Reporting System (MRS) to increase the identification of patients at high risk for hereditary breast cancer, thereby enabling an appropriate level of monitoring and preventive care.
Under the terms of the agreement, MRS will incorporate ‘risk flags’ for hereditary breast cancer risk in their breast cancer tracking software. This will enable medical professionals at mammography screening centers throughout the country to identify patients who would benefit from hereditary breast cancer testing using Myriad’s BRACAnalysis breast cancer predisposition test.
BRACAnalysis is Myriad’s predictive diagnostic test to assess a woman’s risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer based on detection of mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Myriad estimates that less than 10% of mutation carriers for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have been identified in the US.
Mark Morris, CEO of MRS, said: “Millions of patients are tracked on MRS software. Identifying high-risk patients will result in even better patient care. We now offer the radiologist built-in tools to identify those patients, and we are very excited about working with Myriad on improving these tools.
“Working in concert with the patients’ primary care physician, radiologists who use MRS software can identify and recommend increased surveillance and BRCA gene testing for those patients who are at high risk.”
Gregory Critchfield, president of Myriad Genetic, said: “Imaging centers represent an ideal healthcare setting where patients at risk for hereditary cancer can be identified, thereby enabling an appropriate level of monitoring and preventive care.
“This approach broadens and compliments Myriad’s efforts to improve the healthcare of women with a family history of breast and ovarian cancer by identifying a greater number of candidates for BRACAnalysis testing.”