Dynacare is excited to share a recently published article in Cancer Medicine about hereditary breast and ovarian cancer genetics research in New Brunswick (Gauvin et al., 2025), to which we contributed. Overall, about 10% of breast cancer cases and nearly 1 in 5 ovarian cancer cases are caused by inherited genetic factors. In New Brunswick, where the population includes a diverse genetic makeup including Acadian, Irish and French-Canadian communities, hereditary cancer risk has been largely unexplored - until now.
The results of this study, a multi-year collaboration between Dynacare, the Vitalité Health Network and others with cancer cases referred to the medical genetics clinic at the Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre, revealed a distinct genetic profile in New Brunswick (as compared to similar cohorts in other regions of Canada) expanding the understanding of hereditary cancer in the region.
This data underscores the value of population-specific research in advancing personalized cancer care. For example, the study revealed a higher-than-expected number of individuals with mutations in the Ataxia-telangiectasia Mutated (ATM) gene indicated that these individuals should not be prescribed ionizing radiation (a common treatment for breast cancer) due to the increased risk of a second, radiation-induced cancer. Further, recognizing the hereditary nature of breast and ovarian cancers, genetic testing of family members for the familial ATM mutation is available if needed, enabling tailored cancer screening and earlier detection.
Co-authors Yun Zhu and Katherine Hodson, Dynacare Genetic Counsellors based in Ontario and who provide genetic counselling to residents of New Brunswick as part of Dynacare’s Genetic Counselling Services, are among the study authors from New Brunswick and Quebec.
Dynacare proudly offers the largest commercial network of genetic counsellors in Canada in our Genetic Counselling Services that include prenatal, infertility, hereditary cancer care, neurology and hematology areas as part of our mission of supporting healthy lives with commitment and care. Dynacare looks forward to continuing improving cancer care for New Brunswick residents and Canadians by advancing the use of genetic data in clinical practice in Canadian healthcare.
Read the study: Retrospective Study of Genetic Testing Results Reveals Pathogenic Variants Beyond BRCA1/2 in Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Cases in New Brunswick
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