Embryo Test for Breast Cancer is Feasible

A lab test to screen embryos for inherited risk of breast or ovarian cancer is "feasible" but controversy surrounding this method is unlikely to be stilled, attendees at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) conference heard on Monday. European researchers carried out the biggest-ever probe of a procedure to vet in vitro embryos for gene mutations linked to these notorious cancers. Their work declared the test is a reliable indicator of whether the embryo carries the dangerous BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene variants. Even so, these genes are by no means a guarantee that cancer will occur, which means a fierce debate over the technique will continue, they said.

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