Breast Cancer Risk Assessment

Check4Cancer’s cancer screening services are clinically governed by age restrictions, and you cannot sign up for a service if you are not within the age range for a particular cancer screening test. This is because clinical research does not support the benefits of screening people outside our specified age ranges.

Regardless of age, if you have symptoms then you should always seek medical advice from your GP.

For common signs and symptoms of breast cancer, please visit the Check4Cancer ‘Advice and Awareness’ page at this link.

MyBreastRisk was the first commercially available test to combine genetic, family history and lifestyle factors to determine your personal lifetime breast cancer risk.

In humans, 99.9% of the building blocks that make up our DNA are the same, but a SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism, pronounced SNIP) is a single building block that is altered and kept through heredity. It is these SNPs that give us our unique appearance and make us different from each other, but they can also be linked to an increased risk of certain diseases such as breast cancer. Unlike the well-publicised breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA 2, which are incredibly rare in the population but confer a massive lifetime breast cancer risk of up to 60-90% if present, SNPs are much more common in the population and each SNP confers a small increased breast cancer risk. We now know of at least 77 SNPs that increase breast cancer risk and the more you have, the higher the risk.

Analysis of all 77 SNPs can now be performed on a saliva DNA sample, the result of which when combined with a lifestyle and family history questionnaire provides a risk score, that can stratify women into different levels of breast cancer risk (low, moderate or high risk). The risk score allows women at higher lifetime risk of breast cancer to start breast screening at an earlier age, and have more frequent screening, whilst women at lower risk require less screening. There is good scientific evidence to show that this risk-stratified type of breast screening is more effective.

• As MyBreastRisk is a breast cancer risk assessment, it is not suitable for women who have already been diagnosed with breast cancer, including women with triple-negative or bilateral breast cancer, and those diagnosed under age 45.
• Breast SNP tests are based on a cohort of Caucasian European patients.  Published data in August 2021 has confirmed breast SNP tests should not be used to predict risk in women of other ethnicities.  Check4Cancer therefore only recommends our SNP test for Caucasian European ethnicities.

Women with one or more of the following may benefit from a genetic counselling appointment rather than undergo MyBreastRisk:

• Several relatives with breast cancer
• Relatives with ovarian, prostate, pancreatic cancer or male breast cancer
• Jewish ancestry

If you would like to book a genetic counselling appointment, then please click here. 

• You can order your MyBreastRisk at-home sample collection test kit here. The test kit will be delivered to your home in discreet packaging.
• The cost of the MyBreastRisk test at-home kit is £301.00.
• MyBreastRisk is suitable for women aged 30+ years, of Caucasian European ancestry and no prior breast cancer diagnosis.

• An online breast cancer risk-assessment questionnaire based on the validated Tyrer-Cuzick model.*
• Saliva DNA sample collection kit. You can view the kit instructions here.

*The Tyrer-Cuzick model, or IBIS tool, is used to estimate the likelihood of a woman developing breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.

For women who do not know their medical family history, our simple saliva DNA test provides an excellent alternative way to discover your breast cancer risk.

• Complete the at-home test by following the simple instructions provided in the test kit.
• Return your sample to our laboratory by Freepost.
• Our team of specialists will analyse your test results.

• You will receive your results and personalised breast screening programme by password protected email within eight weeks of our laboratory receiving your test sample.

• Results will be available within eight weeks of when your sample is sent off to our laboratory.
• Results from the SNP DNA test and the questionnaire are combined to give an accurate Lifetime Risk Score.
• Lifetime Risk Score:  You will be advised which of the three risk categories you fall into for developing breast cancer: 'Average', 'Moderate' or 'High Risk'.
• Each category will be given very clear guidelines on future screening recommendations.
• Anyone considered to be within the 'High Risk' group will be offered a free genetic counselling session to discuss specific risk reduction strategies or further genetic testing.

Although MyBreastRisk will not prevent breast cancer, it can help you to determine your risk and ensure you are having the most appropriate screening. Those women in the 'Moderate' or 'High Risk' groups can access NHS services to discuss strategies to reduce their risk. 

You will be empowered to take control of your own breast cancer risk and will be able to make lifestyle choices and behaviour changes that will help you in the future.