This is a good article summarizing situations where it is suggested that women get tested for BRCA mutations. Angelina Jolie's prophylactic mastectomy and her decision to go public with her surgery places breast cancer in the public eye more than it already is. It is a disease that is unfortunately quite common. Knowing what to do in terms of screening and being safe can be confusing. Based on the suggestions in the article, I would say that most women do not qualify for BRCA mutation screening. It should be noted too that the overwhelming majority of breast cancers are sporadic cancers and do not have hereditary components. This places most women in the category of annual or bi-annual screening with mammography starting at age 40.
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