Health adviser discusses breast cancer age patterns and genetic testing

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, according to TRNC Presidency Health Adviser Prof. Dr. Nedime Serakıncı, whose comments were reported by Yeniduzen.

Serakıncı said breast cancer cases worldwide are concentrated mainly among women aged 50–70, while academic studies in Turkey and the surrounding region indicate that the age range has fallen to 40–49.

She said 99% of breast cancer cases occur in women, although men can also develop the disease. Serakıncı said breast cancer develops through a combination of genetic, hormonal and environmental factors rather than a single cause.

Risk factors she identified included obesity, smoking, alcohol use, physical inactivity, prolonged hormone exposure and radiation. She said weight control, healthy eating and regular physical activity are among the most effective ways to reduce cancer risk.

Genetic testing and treatment

Serakıncı said inherited genetic mutations account for 5–10% of breast cancer cases and that genetic predisposition is not necessarily determinative.

She said personalised and targeted treatments supported by genetic diagnosis can help control even advanced-stage cancer and extend patients’ lives. However, she warned that genetic testing is not a routine screening procedure for everyone and that random testing may cause unnecessary anxiety.

According to Serakıncı, testing should be considered for people with a family history of cancer at a young age or among multiple relatives, men with breast cancer and patients whom a doctor considers suitable for targeted drug treatment.