Knowledge Is Power
Your genes determine the texture of your hair, the color of your eyes, the shape of your smile-and in some occasional cases, your risk of developing cancer. Genetic predisposition is a factor in an estimated 5 percent to 10 percent of breast and ovarian cancers.
Why would a woman want to know she has a faulty variation of a normal gene that increases her chances of getting breast or ovarian cancer? Some women don't want to know-they feel it would only add to their worries. For others, however, knowing their risks helps to minimize their worries, and in fact, can even lend a sense of empowerment.
