BRCA Gene Testing May Lead to Increase in Preventative Mastectomy Procedures

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The American Cancer Society estimates there will be about 232,340 new breast cancer cases in 2013. One in eight women have a chance of suffering from breast cancer, and one in 36 have a chance of dying from it.

Therefore, early detection is crucial when it comes to breast cancer survival. One of the newest ways to detect breast cancer risk is through BRCA gene testing. Women with a mutation in the BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 genes have a greater chance of suffering from breast cancer.

With a positive test, these women are able to take preventative steps to avoid breast cancer development, which may include preventative double mastectomy.

BRCA Gene Testing May Become More Affordable

Up until recently, Myriad Genetics Inc. was the only company allowed to develop BRCA testing. They had patented the gene, so no other genetics testing company could develop tests on it. However, the U.S. Supreme Court has invalidated the patent on the BRCA genes, so other companies are now able to develop tests.

Ambry Genetics Corporation, Quest Diagnostics, and Gene by Gene are some of the companies getting ready to release their own versions.

What’s different with these companies’ tests and those of Myriad Genetics Inc. is they will likely be offered at a lower cost. There will also be lower priced tests, which will be designed for people who have a family history of breast cancer. These could be selling for about $500, which many patients feel is a small price to pay to find out their breast cancer risk.

With these new, more affordable BRCA tests, it is anticipated that more women will take advantage of them. The benefit of this test is to learn whether the mutations in the BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 genes exist and to have the choice to do something about it.

From there, patients can choose to seek a preventative double mastectomy, among other options, to greatly reduce the risk of developing breast cancer in the future.

The Need for Plastic Surgeons Will Rise

With many more women opting to receive preventative mastectomies, there will be a growing need for plastic surgeons to be present in the operating room, ready to perform a breast reconstruction after their double mastectomy. This is where fat storage makes all the difference.

During the mastectomy, patients can opt to have liposuction performed. By removing and storing excess body fat taken via liposuction, patients can opt to save their fat and have a natural breast reconstruction using layered autologous fat transfer.

The most common areas women choose to have liposuction include the thighs, buttocks, and/or the abdomen. With our FDA registered facilities, our ATGRAFT program stores excess body fat after liposuction so it can be used later. Once a plastic surgeon collects the adipose tissue, it is sent to our storage facility for processing and cryogenic preservation.

When women decide to have their natural breast reconstruction procedure, a request is sent by the plastic surgeon so it can be timed to arrive on the day of their procedure.

Through a series of fat injections into the breasts, also called layered autologous fat transfer, fat will establish its own blood supply accumulate the necessary volume.

In just a few fat transfer sessions spaced out over a few months’ time, new breasts will be constructed for the patient. Of course, they are all natural and made of the patient’s own body fat. This eliminates the risk of rejection as can happen with reconstruction procedures that use breast implants.

Are You Ready to Meet This Growing Demand?

BRCA gene testing is getting ready to reveal the risk of breast cancer for millions of women around the world. Are you ready to handle the increase in patients who come in looking for a natural solution after a preventative double mastectomy?

Women that must have or want an implant should also consider liposuction with cryo-preservation of their fat at the time of a nipple sparing bilateral mastectomy.  Layered autologous fat transfer can be used in addition to and around an implant to add softness and shape to the final results.

We are proud to be a part of this process whereby women can have their breasts reconstructed in a completely natural way. They can then move forward with life – being happy, confident, and relieved that they’ve escaped the second leading cause of death for women.

Won’t you join our growing force of plastic reconstructive surgeons who are offering ATGRAFT to their patients? Enroll today to begin offering natural breast reconstruction using layered fat transfer (which may include preventative bilateral nipple sparing mastectomy) by clicking here.