Clinical application of breast cancer risk assessment models

With the evolving availability of testing for genetic cancer syndromes, oncologists now are increasingly expected to review family histories and to give a genetic risk assessment as part of their care for breast cancer. The most important of these breast cancer genetic syndromes identified to date have been those associated with the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Therefore, the proper identification of potentially affected families and providing risk assessment estimates will be ever more essential. This review outlines several different available breast cancer risk assessment models. Risk models for the development of breast cancer as well as risk models that estimate the chance of having a genetic cancer syndrome are discussed. Their clinical applications are also outlined and clinical situations appropriate for each model are reviewed.