BRCA refers to two genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2. Everyone has these genes, which play an important role in the prevention of cancer.
Some people may have a fault in one of their BRCA genes, putting them at increased risk of developing certain types of cancer- specifically breast, ovarian, prostate and pancreatic cancer. Having Jewish ancestry increases the risk of having a BRCA gene fault – 1 in 40 Ashkenazi Jews and around 1 in 140 Sephardi Jews has a faulty BRCA gene, compared to around 1 in 250 individuals in the UK general population.
As such, NHS England is now offering free self-referred BRCA gene testing for anyone living in England, aged 18 or over, with one or more Jewish grandparent, of any type of Jewish origin (Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Mizrahi etc).
This new programme provides an unprecedented opportunity to better identify individuals with a BRCA gene fault in the Jewish community in England. This will prevent more cancers and save more lives.