Q :What are the BRCA genes?
A : BRCA1 and BRCA2 are important genes in our body responsible for repairing mistakes in the DNA. They are also known as tumour suppressor genes, whereby changes in either of these genes may lead to an increased risk of breast, ovarian, prostate and/or pancreatic cancer(s).
Q :Why is it important to know my BRCA risk score?
A :Your BRCA risk score tells you the likelihood of you carrying an BRCA genetic change compared to other breast cancer patients and the average population. Individuals with a high BRCA risk score should seek for genetic counselling to better understand what can be done in view of their elevated genetic risk.
Q :Does ARiCa tell me what my cancer risks are?
A :ARiCa only predicts the likelihood of a breast cancer woman carrying an BRCA genetic change, it does not predict BRCA-associated cancer risks.
Q :How is ARiCa different from other BRCA risk assessment models?
A :Whilst existing BRCA risk assessment models were built on patient populations with early onset or family history of cancer, ARiCa is the first model built using Asian population-based cohorts. This gives a more accurate prediction score for the Asian population. Click here if you want to read more about how the model was developed and how it works [references].
Q :How is my BRCA risk score calculated?
A :Fields entered are churned through an equation to give a probability which ranges from 0 to 100%. A higher probability indicates a higher chance of being a BRCA carrier.
Q :Can ARiCa calculate BRCA risk scores of patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)?
A :Yes, ARiCa can be used for DCIS patients as well.
Q :Can ARiCa calculate BRCA risk scores of unaffected women?
A :No, currently ARiCa has only been developed to calculate BRCA risk scores of women affected with breast cancer.
Q :Can ARiCa calculate BRCA risk scores of men?
A :No, currently ARiCa has only been developed to calculate BRCA risk scores of women affected with breast cancer.
Q :Is ARiCa only meant for the Asian population.
A :ARiCa works most accurately with the South-east Asian population, especially Malaysians and Singaporeans, as the development and validation of the model were based on these populations.
Q :How accurate is ARiCa?
A :ARiCa is able to accurately identify 71% of BRCA carriers and 71% of non-BRCA carriers.
Q :Will entering “unknown” in any of the fields affect the accuracy of my BRCA risk score?
A :Yes, as the reported accuracy of ARiCa was based on the collective contribution of all the fields.