Myriad Genetics, Inc. announced today that it has launched a comprehensive public awareness advertising campaign -- known as the BRACAnalysis® Awareness Campaign -- designed to reach women with a family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer, and the healthcare providers that treat them.
It is estimated that there are more than a million people in the United States with inherited genetic mutations predisposing them to an increased risk of cancer. It is estimated that fewer than 3 percent of them know it. This campaign is being initiated with the hope that women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer will contact their physicians to learn more about their risk of developing cancer and the actions they can take to reduce their risk.
"The purpose of the BRACAnalysis public awareness campaign is to save lives," said Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., president of Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc. "The risks of breast and ovarian cancers are very high in individuals carrying mutations in either the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. Through a blood test, BRACAnalysis identifies high-risk women so they can take steps to reduce their risk for these cancers."