Should Every Woman Undergo Genetic Testing for Breast Cancer?

Women who inherit certain mutations in the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 are at high risk for developing breast or ovarian cancer at a young age. So why don’t all women undergo genetic testing to see if they are carriers? Wendy Kohlmann, a genetic counselor at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, explains why the suggestion, published this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association, is controversial. She compares the idea to current recommendations, and discusses her viewpoint on the matter.