Genetic testing helps in prevention
GENETIC TESTING HELPS PREVENT OVARIAN CANCER. VFN OPENS NEW MEDICAL GENETICS OUTpatient Clinic
The incidence of ovarian cancer in the Czech Republic has decreased by almost a fifth in the last 20 years. Genetic testing plays an important role in prevention in women with hereditary risk, as it allows detecting an increased risk even before the disease develops and offering effective preventive measures in a timely manner. The General University Hospital in Prague is further expanding comprehensive care for these women and is opening a new medical genetics outpatient clinic at the Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Neonatology of the 1st Faculty of Medicine of Charles University and the General Hospital at Apolinář.
According to data from the National Cancer Registry, 1,212 new cases of ovarian cancer were diagnosed in the Czech Republic in 2004. In 2024, 952 new cases were diagnosed, 260 fewer than in 2004.
Ovarian cancer remains one of the most serious gynecological cancers, partly because we still do not have a test that can detect it early. However, in some women, genetic testing can reveal an innate risk and then offer effective preventive measures. If a congenital predisposition is proven, doctors can recommend preventive removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes at an appropriate age before the tumor develops.
