Ovarian cancer

 Ovarian cancer

Currently, there is no good early detection tool for ovarian cancer. However, BRCA testing may help you decide whether or not to get preventive surgery.

If you did BRCA testing, “you might agree that you need to remove those ovaries and the fallopian tubes to get rid of that risk before cancer develops,” Garber says.

Why You Might Not Get Tested

There are many benefits to getting tested, but why might people choose not to get tested for the BRCA gene mutation?

“Some people are worried about discrimination,” Garber says, adding that people may worry that an employer may not give them a job because they'll be as ill. “Genetic discrimination is a real thing.”

However, there are laws to protect against this. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, or GINA, was signed into law in 2008. The GINA law protects individuals against discrimination in health coverage and employment based on their genetic information.

Garber says that others are afraid that they’ll be very anxious and worry about risk, but genetic testing can be a powerful tool.

“People decide when in their life they’re ready to know this information,” Garber says. “It’s meant to be empowering, but it’s a little scary, too."