Genetic testing for hereditary breast cancer in Asia-moving forward

Genetic screening for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) has gained much attention for the past decades. With the development of advanced sequencing technology, other novel breast cancer associated susceptibility genes, other than BRCA genes, have been identified recently. The prevalence of BRCA mutation is known to be different in the West and in the East, therefore it is important to understand the mutation spectrum locally and in Asia to improve early diagnosis and clinical management of hereditary breast cancer in the region. In this editorial, we sought to highlight the need of genetic screening in HBOC, and also highlight specific issues within Asia which may need to be addressed to help popularize its appropriate use in this region.