Myriad Genetics validates polygenic risk score for breast cancer

Myriad Genetics, Inc., a company focused on precision medicine and molecular diagnostics, has reportedly presented the result of a new validation study of its polygenic risk score (PRS) for breast cancer at the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in San Antonio, Texas. 

The result showed that the PRS substantially enhances the accuracy and precision of breast cancer risk evaluations for women of European ancestry with PV (pathogenic variants) in moderate- and high-penetrance breast cancer genes.

Jerry Lanchbury, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Myriad Genetics, said that the company’s goal is to help women in understanding the risk of breast cancer so that they can take proactive steps to healthier and longer lives. Females who have a family record of breast cancer should think about hereditary cancer testing with the myRisk Hereditary Cancer test, said Lanchbury.

Moreover, the study showed that for women, who are tested positive for a mutation in one of the five breast cancer genes, own added genetic factors termed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that can further aid the lifelong risk of breast cancer.

As for Elisha Hughes, Ph.D., Lead Investigator and Director of Bioinformatics at Myriad Genetics, said that these findings signal that the company has the potential to considerably enhance the precision of hereditary cancer risk evaluation for females who test positive for mutations in intermediate to high-risk breast cancer genes.

Hughes added that this additional genetic information could help clinicians to accurately and precisely predict breast cancer risk and offer the best care for their patients in the future.

Sources further inform that Myriad Genetics, following this announcement, plans to publish these new data in a peer reviewed medical journal and make PRS available for U.S. women of European ancestry, who are tested positive for mutations in breast cancer genes.

Currently, the PRS is available as part of the Myriad myRisk® Hereditary Cancer improved with riskScore® for women of European ancestry who exam negative for pathogenic mutations in breast cancer genes. 
 

Source Credit - https://myriad.com/investors/news-release/news-release-detail/?newsItemId=20921