oncology

Close to 5,000 Canadians are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year and it is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related deaths in Canada. Unfortunately, a majority of these patients die within a year of their diagnosis, due in part to late diagnosis and tumour resistance to chemotherapy. In addition, most patients who are successfully treated eventually recur and succumb to the disease.

Diagnosis of inherited cancer susceptibility has implications for both the patient and their family, as certain drugs may be more effective in cancers caused by a patient’s inherited cancer risk. Carrier testing can also determine whether family members are at risk of cancer. Both the patient and at-risk family members may benefit from increased screening, surveillance and/or prophylactic cancer prevention measures. However, current gene-by-gene testing strategies are costly and time consuming.