Expanded Genetic Test in WISDOM 2.0
On June 1st, 2023 WISDOM implemented a new method for analyzing one component of participants’ genetic risk (their polygenic risk score) which gets factored into personalized risk assessment for breast cancer. The new technology upgrade, known as Low Pass Whole Genome Sequencing (lpWGS) enables our researchers to analyze a broader array of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).
SNPs are not genetic mutations, but when evaluated together these microvariants may influence health, disease, drug response and other traits. The lpWGS can also give researchers insights into ancestry, which can influence how PRS is calculated and used. Though we are now using lpWGS to calculate participants’ PRS, we continue to use traditional genetic testing to look for mutations in the 9 genes associated with high risk for breast cancer (i.e. BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, etc).
How do all these abbreviations affect you? As scientists learn more about breast cancer SNPs, our team will be able to incorporate these findings into our study, and through the use of lpWGS, we can offer our participants even more precise information about their overall risk for breast cancer, as well as tailored risk-reduction and methods.
Women still participating in W1.0 (who completed their genetic tests prior to June 1, 2023) will be contacted by us as soon as they complete their 5-year study track, and invited to enroll in W2.0 to receive the most current genetic test kit. For more information about genetic testing at WISDOM, read our FAQs. For more information about lpWGS and how it is being used to assess cancer, read this blog from the National Cancer Institute.
