"ANGELINA EFFECT"
FOR genetic oncologists such as Hilda High, the so-called "Angelina effect" has created unprecedented interest in what they do.
The Wahroonga specialist has experienced a surge in inquiries after Hollywood superstar Angelina Jolie revealed last month that she had a preventive double mastectomy.
Jolie made the decision after discovering she had inherited the BRCA1 gene that puts her at high risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer.
"Angelina Jolie has done a huge social service," she said.
"There were people who really needed to be seen and who were putting it off and needed a role model."
Dr High said it helped cancer patients who did not have a strong family history.
"Those people have obviously been worrying and it's being able to say 'your risk is not that high, you don't need any extra screening, you don't need extra surgery'," she said.
Dr High, who is based at the Sydney Adventist Hospital, likens her job to that of a detective.
"Like any good detective story you have to pay attention to the clues," she said.
"We start always with a family history to work out what the history is but the genetic testing is a simple blood sample.
"Giving the information about their level of risk and what to do about that risk is really what cancer genetics is all about - powerful information they can use."
THE SCIENCE
- BRCA1 and BRCA2 are tumour suppressor genes that usually have the job of controlling cell growth and cell death
- When a person has one altered or mutated copy of either the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, their risk for various types of cancer increases significantly
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