Jolie’s essay played a critical role in increasing awareness of both BRCA mutations and genetic testing. Six months later, genetic testing rates remained 37 percent higher than in the four months prior to the op-ed’s publication. We’ve seen a few scientific breakthroughs in the past five years when it comes to treating cancers caused by BRCA mutations. Although 66 percent of the more than 2,500 survey respondents said they wanted genetic testing, only 29 percent had received it. Physicians, advocates and policymakers must come together to make sure they continue to capitalize on the attention that Jolie brought to the genetic testing conversation.

Source: Huffington Post May 14, 2018 16:18 UTC