Is it now protocol for oncologist to recommend genetic testing?

I do not know if it is protocol, I doubt it from the posts that I read, the word is probably getting out more to the medical world to inform patients but your friend is lucky her Onc suggests being tested for the brca 1/2 mutations.  I think more Oncologists should do this, too many women are not aware they should be having this done.

I have had triple negative breast cancer twice since 12/02 and neither time was I told what kind of breast cancer I had nor that w/my family history I should be considering counseling.  Many triple negative breast cancers are postive for brca 1 but not all.  The second time I was diagnosed I had become smart enough to ask what kind of breast cancer I had and smart enough to realize after my daughter had just been diagnosed that the yellow light came on!  Not one medical staff person said a word even though they knew exactly what was happening to me and my family.

I have since fired that Oncologist and partly blame myself for not being more educated.  We have to be our own advocates in tackling this disease and that requries education, research and standing a firm ground with our medical staff whom we hire to heal us.

I do not know what kind of breast cancer your friend had but she was young and is from Jewish descent so that is something to consider.  I am not, was not young or atleast was not under 40, was 56 and 60 when diagnosed and not Jewish history so we are all different but please have her go to http://www.facingourrisk.org and see if she might want to consider genetic counseling.

I don't think this is new.  When i was diagnosed four years ago I was told to get the test because I am Jewish and was 42 at the time, even though I had no family history.  Since she still has her breasts and presumably her ovaries, she is still at risk for breast/ovarian cancer if she does have the mutation.  I suspect that it is unlikely that she does.

This thread interested me because I saw my PS in a OB-GYN's office at UCLA Medical Center that had suggestions for genetic testing prominently posted. I checked the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and came up w/a 6/08 committee opinion report:

http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/ethics/co410.pdf

If it's not protocol, it sounds as if they're moving that way for many pts.

Hope this helps.