The BRCA Gene and Ovarian Cancer: ECRI Institute Updates Free Resource Center

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., March 31, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In her New York Times op-ed on March 24, 2015, Angelina Jolie announced that she had undergone surgery to have her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed. The decision was based on her initial increased cancer risk identified two years ago, and new health information she recently received during a routine follow-up test with a blood marker called CA 125.

ECRI Institute, an independent nonprofit that researches the best approaches to patient care, has updated its free resource center of evidence-based information to help consumers, providers, and payers learn more about BRCA gene mutations and the use of the CA 125 blood marker, which is often used for monitoring women with a high risk of developing ovarian cancer.

Compiled by analysts in ECRI Institute's Health Technology Assessment Information Service and Evidence-based Practice Center, reports posted at the "BRCA Gene Mutation Resource Center" address risk factors; the populations for whom testing may be appropriate; the accuracy of tests; the evidence on preventive mastectomy and oophorectomy; nonsurgical options for prevention; costs; and whether insurers reimburse for testing and preventive surgery. The consumer guide is presented in a question-and-answer format.

"We offer this information as a public health service to help consumers and health professionals better understand who benefits from testing, and to avoid unnecessary procedures," says Vivian H. Coates, vice president of information services and health technology assessment, ECRI Institute.

According to the United States Preventive Services Task Force, only women with specific family history traits should be referred for genetic counseling and evaluation for BRCA testing. Furthermore, the CA 125 test should be used only in certain circumstances in combination with other tools for monitoring risk of ovarian cancer.

"People can get caught up in the headlines, which can lead to quick, uninformed decisions," says Coates. "Many women may find that after talking to their physicians about their risks for the BRCA gene mutation, the best course of action may actually be to do nothing."

Patients are encouraged to share these reports with their clinicians, but ECRI Institute itself cannot offer direct assistance to consumers.

To access the resource center, visit www.ecri.org/BRCA. Providers, payers, and members of the press wishing to learn more about ECRI Institute's health technology assessment service may contact us by phone at (610) 825-6000, ext. 5310; by e-mail at [email protected]; or by mail at 5200 Butler Pike, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462. ECRI Institute's European office can be contacted at [email protected]; ECRI Institute's Asia Pacific office can be contacted at [email protected]; and ECRI Institute's Middle East office can be contacted at [email protected].

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• ECRI Institute updates free #BRCA gene mutation resource center ly.ecri.org/TjdLYK
• ECRI Institute updates free #BRCA resource center following Angelina Jolie surgery announcement  ly.ecri.org/TjdLYK

About ECRI Institute
ECRI Institute, a nonprofit organization, dedicates itself to bringing the discipline of applied scientific research to healthcare to discover which medical procedures, devices, drugs, and processes are best to enable improved patient care. As pioneers in this science for nearly 50 years, ECRI Institute marries experience and independence with the objectivity of evidence-based research. Strict conflict-of-interest guidelines ensure objectivity. ECRI Institute is designated an Evidence-based Practice Center by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. ECRI Institute PSO is listed as a federally certified Patient Safety Organization by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Find ECRI Institute on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ECRIInstitute) and on Twitter (www.twitter.com/ECRI_Institute). For more information, visit www.ecri.org.

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SOURCE ECRI Institute

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