23andMe Launches New Genetic Reports on Common Forms of Cancer - Seite 2

• On average 1 in 8 females will develop breast cancer in their lifetime
• On average 1 in 8 males will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime
• On average 1 in 25 people will develop colorectal cancer in their lifetime
  

Depending on the type of cancer PRS report and individuals’ ethnicity, up to 5-to-30 percent of current 23andMe+ Premium and 23andMe+ Total Health members will see an increased likelihood result.

“The hope is that this information will help more people, alerting them to a chance of developing the disease that they might not have known otherwise,” said Abul-Husn.

There are limitations with these reports. Availability of the breast cancer and prostate cancer PRS reports is based on self-reported birth sex. These new reports do not diagnose the conditions, do not describe a person’s overall likelihood for developing the conditions, and they do not include all genetic variants, including those linked to hereditary cancer syndromes, that may be associated with risks for these conditions. Further, the new colorectal cancer report is only available for those of European and Latino/Hispanic descent, as there is not yet enough data to provide a result for those of other ethnicities - a historical issue with genetic research and polygenic scores at large. In fact, research shows more than 80 percent of genetic studies are conducted in people of European descent*.

To help address this issue, 23andMe has launched the Genetic insights into colorectal cancer in the Black community study, welcoming individuals with African ancestry and / or identifying as Black or African American to participate. Through this study, we hope to gather enough data to improve the polygenic score and our ability to inform Black and African Americans about how their genetics impact their chance of developing colorectal cancer. Individuals who participate in this research study will have the option to access health reports through a 23andMe+ Premium membership at no-cost. To learn more about this study please visit our landing page. The Company also has additional efforts underway to improve data, research, and model performance in other populations.