Definition of potentially high risk:

The category of potentially high risk of ovarian cancer covers less than 1% of the female population. Features in a family which are suggestive of a high risk of breast cancer include. 

• Having multiple relatives with breast and or ovarian cancer on the same side of the family
• Breast cancer diagnosed under the age of 40
• Breast and ovarian cancer in the same woman
• billateral breast cancer
• male breast cancer
• ashkenzai jewish ancestry

How can I tell if my family history of cancer is of concern?

Look at the family history on both your father’s and your mother’s side of the family. The clues that cancers in your family may be due to an
inherited faulty gene include:
a) The number of blood relatives who have developed cancer.

The greater the number of blood relatives who have developed cancer (in particular breast, ovarian and/or bowel cancer), the more likely it
is that the cancer is due to an inherited faulty gene.

b) The ages at which cancers develop in blood relatives*.

The younger people are when they develop cancer the more likely it is to be due to inherited genetic factors.
c) The pattern of cancer in the family.

The types of cancer and who in the family has developed cancer are important considerations. In some families, there are a number of blood relatives who develop the same type of cancer such as breast cancer or bowel cancer. In other families, there are particular combinations of cancers running in the family such as breast and ovarian cancer or bowel and cancer of the uterus. This happens because some faulty genes can increase the chance of developing more than one type of cancer.
The more of these clues that are present, the more likely it is that there is an inherited faulty gene in your family causing a higher than usual chance of cancer. However it is not definite. Even if a faulty gene causing an increased chance of cancer is being passed down through
your family, it does not mean that you will definitely have inherited this faulty gene.

It is important to know that some people who inherit a faulty gene which causes an increased chance of cancer, will never go on to develop cancer.

Here is a brochure that answers the questions "What if I have a family history of cancer"

Download Cancer Australia's Family Asessment tool below



We are now in the generation of genetic testing. Not all family histories are related to a genetic fault. Always keep in mind only 5-10% of all breast cancer cases are due to a genetic fault or strong family history.

Information source: National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre and Australian Family Cancer Clinics