BRCA testing in Canada

canadianbreastcancer

I am a 22 year old female living in the province of Saskatchewan in Canada. I am very interested in getting tested for the BRCA gene after my mother passed away from breast cancer this year at the age of 53. After going to my doctor in the spring to get a referral I was put on a waiting list for a minimum of 2 years. I am rather anxious to get tested and to start taking preventive measures so I opted to get testing done at the University of Florida in Gainesville. To make a long story short I am not allowed into the United States even for medical reasons because I do not have strong enough ties to Canada and have been prevously turned away from the border for this reason. So my question is how would I go about getting tested for this gene in the shortest amount of time possible money not being an object.

exbrnxgrl

The testing does not involve a physical exam. If you are paying for this yourself, all you would need is the test kit. You then bring it to a lab that does the blood draw and sends it off to Myriad Genetics. Is the two year wait for genetic counseling before the test to determine if the test is appropriate for you? As I said, the test itself is just a blood draw.

Caryn

Beesie

I'm in Ontario and each province has it's own rules.  In Ontario the first step is usually a referral to see a genetic counsellor.  The counsellor reviews a complete family health history and based on that recommends whether or not a BRCA test is appropriate.  OHIP (government healthcare in Ontario) pays for the BRCA test if you meet certain criteria.  

Once that's done, all that is necessary for the test is a simple blood draw, which the genetic counsellor can do, right there on the spot.  The problem comes with the amount of time it takes to get the results.  This is because, last I heard, only one lab had been approved by Myriad (the U.S. company that owns the patent to the BRCA test) to run the test in Canada.  That's why it takes so long to get the test results in Canada (generally 6 to 12 months). However, for those who are willing to pay themselves, the blood sample can be sent directly to Myriad in the U.S. and the results will be available much more quickly (about a month).  Although I don't know this, I suspect that if someone doesn't meet the OHIP criteria, they can choose to pay themselves and have the test sent by the counsellor to Myriad in the U.S..  

The question is whether you meet the criteria for testing.  If you do, I would think that you should be able to get into a genetic counsellor more quickly.  I can't find anything about the Sask. testing criteria, but here it is for Ontario and B.C.:

ONTARIO CANCER GENETIC TESTING PROGRAM 

Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer 

Some questions for you:  Is your mother the only case of breast cancer on her side of the family?  Are there any cases of ovarian or prostate cancer?  Was your mother diagnosed under the age of 50?  

If just your mother alone had BC, with no other people in the family having breast, ovarian or prostate cancer, then the odds of the BRCA mutation being in your family are quite low. Most breast cancer is not genetic so if there's only one case in the family, it's much more likely that the cancer was random rather than genetic. On the other hand, if there are several cases of these types of cancers and if the diagnoses in all or most cases were under the age of 50, then the odds of the mutation being in your family are much higher.  These are the things that the counsellor would consider in speaking to you, and these are the factors that determine your eligibility for free testing.  

So with all that, my questions are: Did you see your family doctor, and is the two year waiting list the time it's taking to get in to see a genetic counsellor? 

cathy1968

Hi - both posts above give great advice, good for you for being diligent.

I would just add that even if you do not carry the BRCA gene, remember that this lowers your risk but does not eliminate it.  You must still always be proactive in looking for early signs and getting all age-appropriate diagnostic testing, as recommended by your health care provider.

I hope it works out for you and you are able to get the answers you need!