Do you need a referral for brca genetic testing?

Some clinics allow people to request an appointment directly, while others ask a doctor to refer them. Calling the clinical genetics service first can clarify its booking route and whether genetic counselling is arranged before the sample is collected.

BRCA testing looks for inherited changes in genes involved in repairing damaged DNA. A genetics professional can review your personal and family cancer history, explain which test may answer the clinical question, and discuss what a positive, negative or uncertain result could mean.

Results can affect decisions about screening, treatment or risk-reducing care and may also have implications for biological relatives. Pre-test counselling supports informed consent and helps you decide when, or whether, testing is right for you.

Ask the clinic what referral route it uses and whether it wants previous pathology or genetic reports. Gather cancer diagnoses from both sides of your biological family, including the type of cancer and age at diagnosis where known, without delaying the appointment if some details are unavailable.

Tell the genetics team if a relative has already received a genetic result and bring a copy if possible. Also mention any current cancer treatment, planned surgery or time-sensitive treatment decision so the team can understand why the result is being requested.

BRCA testing itself is not an emergency. Contact your cancer team promptly, however, if a treatment or operation decision is waiting on genetic information, or if you are struggling to understand a result that has already been issued.

New breast changes, unexplained bleeding, a persistent new lump or other concerning symptoms need clinical assessment based on the symptom; do not wait for genetic testing to be completed. Testing estimates inherited susceptibility and does not diagnose the cause of a new symptom.

Ask which genes the proposed test covers, what each possible result could change, whether a family member's existing result should guide your test, and how results will be shared. It is also useful to ask who can explain an uncertain finding and what support is available for discussing relevant results with relatives.