Breast removals proposed for patients with high cancer risk

Prince of Wales Hospital plans to set up a special clinic offering preventive breast removals for women with a high risk of developing breast cancer.

'We are looking at the possibility of setting up a family history clinic in which we identify higher-risk cases with regards to their family background,' said Dr Bonita Law Ka-bo, breast clinic co-ordinator and a surgical specialist at the hospital's department of surgery.

'The aim is to have them know about their own risk rather than blindly guessing.'

Earlier research at the centre showed 12 per cent of 50 breast-cancer patients under 40 carried the cancer gene, she said.

Dr Law estimated the clinic would see about 50 women aged under 40 each year who were genetically susceptible to the disease. 'This means 50 families we will have to take care of. The burden will be tremendous and it will be accumulated over the years,' she said.

The clinic would offer a blood test to determine if a woman carried a breast-cancer gene. Dr Law said funding for this screening was being sought as the test was expensive. Women found to carry the cancer gene will be counselled.

'We will talk to them about the options that we can offer. We can offer prophylactic mastectomy or some hormonal treatment before they contract the disease,' said Dr Law.