Have you heard about the Get Wise to Your Genes campaign or the Jewish BRCA Testing Program on offer by BC Cancer?

Are you curious about how it all works?

Why BRCA Testing Matters for People with Jewish Ancestry

You may or may not have heard that Jewish heritage or ancestry means you have an increased risk of carrying a BRCA gene mutation. BRCA gene mutations are like “spelling errors” in your genetic code, and they put you at increased risk of various cancers, such as breast, ovarian, pancreatic, and prostate cancer. People with two grandparents with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry have the highest risk of carrying one of these mutations, at about 1 in 40. If you only have one Ashkenazi grandparent or a different Jewish background, the risk is still elevated, but not quite so high. Whether or not you are practicing or identify as Jewish does not affect your risk.

Testing your BRCA genes for mutations is a great way to help you be proactive about your own health. It allows you to take control of your future and helps your family become informed about their possible cancer risk.

Over 1,200 British Columbians have already signed up for this program and 90% of surveyed participants who completed the program reported finding the process easy.

How Do I Sign Up?

CLICK HERE

If you have at least 1 Jewish grandparent (Ashkenazi, Sephardic or Mizrahi), are 19 years or older and are a resident of BC or Yukon, you can sign up for the program. To sign up, you can use the QR code or link provided, both will bring you to an online platform called Genetics Advisor.

What is Genetics Advisor?

Genetics Advisor is like an automated genetic counselling appointment. It only takes about 15 minutes to complete, but it will give you all the information you need to make an informed decision about testing for the BRCA mutations. It is also designed to help the team at BC Cancer determine if your personal or family health history suggests a need for further genetic testing beyond the BRCA genes. It’s important to know that there are other hereditary cancer gene mutations apart from the BRCA that are also more common in people of Jewish ancestry, but this program does not test for those mutations. If the team thinks you would benefit from additional testing, a member will contact you to discuss your options. You can still participate in the Jewish BRCA Testing Program in the meantime. Otherwise, the program is fully automated, except for those who receive a positive test result (i.e. the presence of a mutation). More about that later.

The Genetics Advisor tool includes three sections:

LEARN
EXPLORE
DECIDE

In the LEARN section, you will explore everything that relates to BRCA1/BRCA2 testing. The EXPLORE section helps you understand how you may feel about receiving results. Finally, the Genetic Advisor summarizes your thoughts and feelings based on the information you reviewed. This summary helps you DECIDE whether you would like to have BRCA genetic testing.

95% of participants reported finding the educational modules helpful.

Making Your Decision

Upon completing the Genetic Advisor, you have a couple of options:

Choose to proceed with genetic testing, or
Take more time on your decision/Decline to proceed altogether.

The decision is yours, and it is a very personal one.

If you decide to wait or NOT to get tested: Nothing happens next. You now know what BRCA1/BRCA2 testing means for someone of Jewish descent. If, in the future, you would like to access this testing, please visit the BRCAinBC website for up-to-date testing options. Please note that the Jewish BRCA Testing Program is currently only being offered until March 31st, 2026.
If you decide you WANT to get tested: At the end of the Genetic Advisor, you can request a Saliva Collection Kit. Your saliva will be used for the testing. The kit will arrive by FedEx within 2–3 weeks.

The Saliva Collection Kit

What is a Saliva Collection Kit?

It’s a box that contains a saliva collection kit and the paperwork required to process the sample. It comes from a company called Invitae, which is a US-based lab that performs the BRCA testing and sample analysis.

You will receive written instructions with the kit on how to complete it and send back your sample. You can also access video instructions to help guide you through the process.

Video 1 - Saliva Collection Kit Instructions

Video 2 – Customs Form Instructions

Video 3 – FedEx Shipping Instructions

The process is quick, simple, and completely confidential.

Best of all, the program is free of cost to you, as it has been sponsored by a generous benefactor from our BC Jewish community.

Receiving Your Results

Results are provided by Invitae within 3–6 weeks:

Negative results: A negative result means that no mutation was detected in your BRCA genes. You will receive a written report through the Invitae portal explaining the meaning of this result and the importance of sharing this with your healthcare provider. 95% of participants report finding this report clear and understandable.

Note: Even with a negative BRCA result, it is still important to remember that you can still develop cancer in your lifetime. The BRCA mutations are not the only hereditary mutations that increase the risk of cancer, and most cancers are not hereditary. Always discuss your personal cancer screening needs with your primary healthcare provider and follow their personalized advice.

Positive results: A positive result means that a mutation was detected in at least one of your BRCA genes. You will be contacted directly by a member of the BC Cancer Jewish BRCA Testing Program team to discuss your result. You will then be referred to the BC Cancer Hereditary Cancer Program and will receive an appointment within a month of your results. At this appointment, a genetic counsellor will:

review your results,
discuss any additional screening needs, and
discuss options for sharing this information with your family.

Participant Feedback

Here is what participants are saying about the Jewish BRCA Testing Project…

“ Thank you for communicating my results. This program was easy and I found that everything was communicated very effectively.” Pt0099
“ Thank you again for the opportunity to participate in testing. I was very happy to learn I do not carry this genetic predisposition.” Pt0017

We hope you will take advantage of this unique opportunity to empower yourself in your future cancer and healthcare decisions!

Still Have More Questions?

If you have more questions about what to expect, please contact the Jewish BRCA Testing Program team at jewishbrca@bccancer.bc.ca.

What to Expect: The BC Cancer Jewish BRCA Testing Program