You can remove inherited gene mutations like BRCA1 or 2 from your family free via IVF with Pre Implantation Genetic Testing.
Learn more in our IVF video series:
If you’ve tested positive for a mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene — or some other inherited gene mutation associated with increased risk of breast cancer and possibly other cancers — it’s natural to be concerned about passing the mutation along to your biological children. There’s a 50% chance that any child you have will inherit the mutation. The same holds true if you are not a mutation carrier but your partner is.
The option is now available to use preimplantation genetic testing, or PGT, to prevent passing a gene mutation on future children. For several years, couples have used preimplantation genetic diagnosis to avoid passing along hereditary diseases such as cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, and Huntington’s disease. But now, some parents are using it to avoid passing along the BRCA1, BRCA2 and other mutations.
The Process:
PGT can offer parents (and their future children) peace of mind. With IVF, a woman takes medications to stimulate her ovaries to produce multiple eggs. The eggs are removed and fertilized outside the body in a test tube. Successfully fertilized eggs then become embryos. After a few days (typically 5), PGT can be performed once an embryo has reached blastocyst stage: One or two cells can be removed from each embryo and tested for the particular mutation carried by the parent. The couple or mother can then choose healthy, mutation-free embryos to be implanted in the uterus and/or stored for future use.
