Test your hereditary cancer risk with GeneMate®
By understanding your hereditary cancer risk, you and your care provider can develop a plan to significantly reduce your risk or enable early detection through more frequent screening. GeneMate® provides a comprehensive risk assessment through the combination of genetic testing and an assessment of family cancer history.
Lifetime cancer risk
How common is cancer?
Roughly half of the British population will develop cancer in their lifetime, and 5-10% of all cancer is hereditary. Still, 97% of those at risk for hereditary cancer remain unidentified.
Hereditary cancer may be due to one underlying genetic variant – also called a mutation – or a combination of several variants and environmental factors.
Certain cancers are more strongly linked to hereditary factors than others. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide, and as much as one third of all cases are thought to be hereditary.
Know your risk with GeneMate®
Through GeneMate® you can identify whether you carry an increased risk for hereditary cancer. GeneMate® combines genetic testing with a review of your family’s cancer history for a comprehensive assessment.
An assessment of the DNA in your saliva reveals whether you carry a genetic variant (mutation) that increases your risk of cancer.
Your family’s cancer history is reviewed for clinical indicators of hereditary cancer.
Select the test that suits your needs
GeneMate® PREMIUM
If you want a complete analysis of your hereditary cancer risk, this test is for you. This is our most comprehensive offering. This test is also for you if you have a personal history of a rare cancer form. The majority of genes clinically associated with hereditary cancer are included.
44 genes
GeneMate® BRCA+
If you want to test your hereditary breast, ovarian, or prostate cancer risk, this test is for you. This test is also for you if you have a personal history of any of these cancer types. Genes associated with a significantly increased risk are included.
3 genes
GeneMate® Breast & Ovarian
If you want to comprehensively test your hereditary breast and ovarian cancer risk, this test is for you. This test is also for you if you have a personal history of any of these cancer types. All genes clinically associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer are included.
14 genes
GeneMate® Breast, Gyn & Colon
If you want to test your hereditary breast and gynecological cancer risk, this test is for you. This test is also for you if you have a personal history of any of these cancer types. All genes clinically associated with hereditary breast, ovarian, and uterine cancer (Lynch syndrome) are included.
21 genes
GeneMate® Colon
If you want to test your hereditary risk for colorectal cancer (includes Lynch syndrome and polyposis syndromes), this test is for you. This test is also for you if you have a personal history of colorectal or other cancer associated with Lynch syndrom.
7 genes
GeneMate® Prostate & Colon
If you want to test your hereditary risk for colorectal, cancer (includes Lynch syndrome and polyposis syndromes) or prostate cancer, this test is for you. This test is also for you if you have a personal history of prostate, colorectal or other cancer associated with Lynch syndrom.
9 genes
Is GeneMate® right for me?
GeneMate® is intended for adults 18 years of age or older who would like to know if they have an increased risk for hereditary cancer. Please note that pathogenic variants are rare in the general population. The probability is increased, however, if any of the following are true:
- If you or a close relative1 have been diagnosed with cancer at a young age, such as breast cancer before 40. What is considered young varies by cancer type.
- If you or a close relative have had several cancer diagnoses.
- If you or a close relative have had a rare cancer diagnosis.
- If several close relatives have had the same or related cancer diagnoses. Colorectal cancer and uterine cancer, for example, are related cancer types.
Research shows, however, that many individuals with pathogenic variants do not meet these criteria.
Still wondering if GeneMate® is right for you? Get in touch at support.uk@icellate.com and we’ll be happy to answer your questions.
1 Close relatives include: parents, siblings, half siblings, children, grandchildren, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews.
How does GeneMate® work?
Order your GeneMate® test online.
A sample collection kit will be delivered directly to your mailbox for at-home saliva collection.
Activate your test online and return your sample in the same box it came in.
Book a consultation with one of our genetic counsellors to review your results.
Should you have a high risk mutation, we will offer a consultation with a private GP.
Your hereditary risk lies in your DNA
While genetic variants are rare, they say a lot about an individual’s risk of developing certain cancers. A woman with a pathogenic variant in the gene BRCA1, for example, has a 50-80% risk of developing breast cancer, while the average woman has a risk of only 10%. The lifetime risk for women born in the UK after 1960 is estimated to increase to 15%.
Breast Cancer Risk
Ovarian Cancer Risk
Kuchenbaecker KB, Hopper JL, Barnes DR, et al. Risks of Breast, Ovarian, and Contralateral Breast Cancer for BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutation Carriers. JAMA. 2017;317(23):2402-2416.
Get to know your DNA with GeneMate®
Analytical validation of the GeneMate® test has shown >99% sensitivity, >99% specificity, and >99.9% reproducibility. In other words, GeneMate® identifies existing gene variants at an exceedingly high rate (sensitivity), while maintaining minimal risk for false positives (specificity).
The GeneMate® panel covers all cancer types that are known to have a clinically significant hereditary component. Targeted services (such as GeneMate® Breast) cover a smaller subset of cancer types.
The GeneMate® test’s 41-gene panel was thoughtfully developed with regard to clinical relevance and actionability and the panel was selected based on the best practice recommendations from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), the US center for disease control (CDC), the US National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), “Swedish clinical guidelines”, and the Swedish Association of Medical Genetics and Genomics (SFMG) guidelines.
Surveillance and management guidelines exist for pathogenic variants of all genes* included in the panel and are described in “Swedish clinical guidelines”, the SFMG guidelines and the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare.
Targeted services (such as GeneMate® Breast) analyze a subset of these genes for one to a few cancer types. The genes analyzed for each service are shown above.
| APC | ATM | BAP1 | BARD1 | BMPR1A |
| BRCA1 | BRCA2 | BRIP1 | CDH1 | CDKN2A |
| CHEK2 | DICER1 | EPCAM | FH | FLCN |
| MAX | MEN1 | MLH1 | MSH2 | MSH6 |
| MUTYH | NF1 | NF2 | PALB2 | PMS2 |
| PTEN | RAD51C | RAD51D | RB1 | RET |
| SDHA | SDHAF2 | SDHB | SDHC | SDHD |
| SMAD4 | SMARCB1 | STK11 | TMEM127 | TP53 |
| TSC1 | TSC2 | VHL | WT1 |
Those who meet certain clinical testing criteria may qualify for evaluation via the NHS. Research shows, however, that many carriers (i.e. those with pathogenic genetic variants) cannot be identified using today’s clinical criteria. Those who do meet the criteria may encounter long wait times or a series of hospital visits. GeneMate® is criteria-free, utilizes at-home sample collection, and has a turnaround time of 4-8 weeks. Genetic counselling is offered by phone.
*The genes included are based on Swedish clinical guidelines. Gene panel, test method, and clinical recommendations in the case of a disease-causing variant may therefore differ slightly from UK recommendations. Testing within the UK may also be subject to variability depending on which of the two UK guidelines are followed; the National Genomic Test Directory and the 2018 UKCGG/UKGTN guidelines. Here you can view a comparison between UK and Swedish guidelines.
Looking for more on hereditary cancer?
Have a look at our FAQ’s
Faq
Still have questions?
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Tel: 01483-861503
E-mail:
support.uk@icellate.com
Read more about hereditary cancer
Macmillan