{"id":689747,"date":"2022-09-28T09:07:10","date_gmt":"2022-09-28T13:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/family-cancer-history-still-a-mystery-to-many-women-myriad-genetics-survey-finds\/"},"modified":"2022-09-28T09:07:10","modified_gmt":"2022-09-28T13:07:10","slug":"family-cancer-history-still-a-mystery-to-many-women-myriad-genetics-survey-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/family-cancer-history-still-a-mystery-to-many-women-myriad-genetics-survey-finds\/","title":{"rendered":"Family Cancer History Still a Mystery to Many Women, Myriad Genetics Survey Finds"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Myriad Genetics<\/a>\u00a0(NASDAQ: MYGN), a leader in genetic testing and precision medicine, today announced results from a nationwide survey it conducted on the attitudes, knowledge, and practices related to risk assessment, prevention, and screening for breast and ovarian cancer. The findings reveal disconnects between perceived health knowledge and proactive actions taken in response.<\/p>\n

The Myriad Genetics Women\u2019s Health Survey of 1,000 women, ages 25-64, found that while most women of mammogram age (40 and above) consider themselves to be proactive about their health, 1 in 3 of women age 40+ say they have not had a mammogram within the last 2 years (33%). The survey also showed that having a family history of cancer may not drive behavior change when it comes to preventive behaviors \u2013 one in 10 women age 40+ with a family member who has been diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer say they have never had a mammogram (10%), compared to 13% of women age 40+ overall.<\/p>\n

\u201cWomen need to be empowered to know more and do more to reduce their risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Mammograms are vital for the early detection of breast cancer in women, and many should consider genetic testing as well,\u201d said Melissa Gonzales, President of Women\u2019s Health at Myriad Genetics. \u201cMyriad Genetics is committed to helping all women understand \u2013 and reduce \u2013 their individual risk of deadly diseases that continue to claim far too many lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Survey results are available for download here<\/a>. Highlights include:<\/p>\n

\n Family Health History Is a Call to Action Sometimes Ignored<\/strong>
\n
Accurate family history is an issue for many, with a lingering gap between what women think they know about their health and what they actually know. The survey found that although half of women (51%) say they have no family history of breast or ovarian cancer, many are not sure if that\u2019s true. Nearly a third of these women (30%) say they don\u2019t really know if anyone in their family has ever been diagnosed because their family doesn\u2019t talk about medical issues.
Only 30% of respondents are very comfortable speaking with their father about their potential risk of getting breast or ovarian cancer, compared to 57% who are very comfortable speaking about it with their mother.<\/p>\n

\n Genetic Testing \u2013 An <\/strong>
\n Important<\/strong>
\n , but Misunderstood, Tool in Cancer Prevention<\/strong>
\n
At least 7 in 10 women are aware of ancestry genetic testing (80%) and\u00a0prenatal\u00a0<\/em>genetic testing (70%), but less than half (46%) are aware of specific hereditary cancer-related genetic tests.<\/p>\n

Compounding the lack of awareness is a lack of clarity on when to undergo genetic testing for hereditary cancer. Thirty percent of women responded that they think genetic testing for hereditary cancer risk is only necessary if multiple people in a family have had breast or ovarian cancer.<\/p>\n

Other findings:<\/p>\n