Breast cancer genetic screening is available at no-cost for 100,000 people through myGenetics

About 13% of women will develop breast cancer at some point in their lives, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). And while anyone can develop the disease, those with certain genetic markers have a significantly higher lifetime risk.

That’s where genetic health screening can provide important insights. No-cost genetic screening is available through myGenetics, our community health research study. You just need a HealthPartners online account to get started.

While the myGenetics study is open, you can get no-cost genetic screening for mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. These mutations can be inherited from either of your parents and are the most common ones linked to breast, ovarian and prostate cancers.

Having a BRCA mutation doesn’t mean you’ll get cancer. But the NCI reports that the lifetime risk of breast cancer for a woman who carries a harmful BRCA mutation is more than 60% compared to the general population risk of 13%. Men can also inherit BRCA mutations, which can significantly increase their risks of breast, prostate and other cancers.

Through myGenetics, you can also learn about your genetic risk for Lynch syndrome, the most common cause of hereditary colon cancer, and a hereditary form of high cholesterol called familial hypercholesterolemia. Plus, you’ll get information about your regional ancestry and how your DNA may influence personal traits like caffeine sensitivity, sleep patterns, your sweet tooth and more.

By participating in the study, your genetic information will help us learn what may cause certain diseases and how we can treat them more effectively. Genetic screening is offered to you at no cost, and health insurance is not required.

This voluntary study is open to anyone 18 years old and older who hasn’t received a stem cell transplant or a bone marrow transplant from a donor. If you don’t already have a HealthPartners online account, you’ll just need to create one to verify your identity.

Keeping your information secure is as important to us as it is to you. We follow federal privacy laws and the study is overseen by an institutional review board.

When you sign up for the study, you’ll be guided to make an appointment at one of our labs near you to provide a blood sample. Your visit will only take about 15 minutes. Or you can request an at-home collection​​ kit​​ ​​to provide a ​​saliva sample​ for the study. Just follow the instructions that come with the kit for providing and returning your sample.

Once we have your sample, we will send it to our genomics partner Helix to sequence your DNA.

If your results show you’re at an increased risk for certain conditions, we’ll contact you about your results, and you’ll be able to schedule a no-cost genetic counseling follow-up appointment. They’ll help you better understand your test results and recommend next steps for your care.

The myGenetics community health ​​research ​​study is currently ​​enrolling ​​new participants. By joining, you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about your personal risk for hereditary breast cancer and other inherited conditions. And you’ll be able to use that information to make health decisions to manage and reduce your risks. Plus, you’ll help us work toward a better understanding of the causes of certain diseases and how we can best treat them.

It's easy to join. Just sign into your HealthPartners online account or create one below to verify your identity.