Medical Oncologist
The BRCA gene test is a simple blood or saliva test that checks for inherited changes in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes — the changes most strongly linked to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. At CION Cancer Clinics, Hyderabad, every test starts and ends with genetic counselling, so you understand what your result means and what to do next. The first consultation is free.
BRCA1 and BRCA2 are two genes everyone is born with. Their job is to make proteins that repair damaged DNA and keep cells growing normally. When you inherit a harmful change (a pathogenic mutation) in either gene, that repair system works less well — which raises the lifetime risk of breast, ovarian and a few other cancers, often at a younger age than usual.
The BRCA gene test looks for these inherited changes. Because the change is present in every cell of your body, it can be detected from a small blood sample (usually a 4 ml EDTA tube) or a saliva sample. No fasting is needed, and saliva collection is completely painless. Modern testing uses next-generation sequencing (NGS) to read the genes letter by letter, often paired with MLPA to catch larger deletions or duplications — together these give very high accuracy for known variants.
One important point: this is a germline test of inherited risk. It is not a tumour test and it does not diagnose cancer. It tells you about risk and helps your oncology team plan screening, prevention and — if you already have cancer — treatment.
Blood draw or saliva — both detect the same inherited change because it is present in every cell.
Sequencing reads the genes; MLPA catches large deletions and duplications a sequencer alone can miss.
It measures inherited risk, not a tumour — a positive result does not mean you have cancer.
No fasting required; a signed consent form is needed before the sample is taken.
A harmful BRCA1 change can raise the lifetime risk of breast cancer to over 60%, compared with about 13% in the general population, and ovarian cancer risk to roughly 39–58%. Yet most breast cancers are not inherited — only about 5–10% are linked to a single inherited gene change like BRCA. That is why testing is targeted to people whose personal or family history suggests an inherited cause. Source: U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) / NCCN.
BRCA testing is not for everyone. National and international guidelines (NCCN, and the Indian Society of Medical and Paediatric Oncology consensus) recommend it for people whose personal or family history suggests an inherited cause. A genetic counsellor or medical oncologist confirms whether you meet criteria before testing — this avoids unnecessary tests, in keeping with how we work at CION.
You may be a candidate if any of the following apply to you or a close blood relative:
A personal or family diagnosis of breast cancer at age 50 or younger raises the chance of an inherited BRCA change.
Any history of ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer is a strong indicator for testing.
Triple-negative breast cancer, especially under 60, is more often linked to BRCA1 changes.
Breast cancer in a man in the family is uncommon and a recognised reason to test for BRCA2.
Several relatives with breast, ovarian, pancreatic or high-risk prostate cancer, or one person with more than one of these.
If a relative already carries a BRCA change, you can have focused, lower-cost cascade testing for that exact change.
BRCA1 and BRCA2 both raise cancer risk, but they are different genes on different chromosomes and the pattern of risk is not identical. Knowing which gene is involved helps your oncology team tailor screening, prevention and treatment. The figures below are widely cited lifetime-risk estimates from the U.S. National Cancer Institute; your personal risk also depends on your family history and other factors, which is exactly what counselling is for.
Over 60% lifetime breast cancer risk in carriers, versus about 13% in the general population. BRCA1-linked cancers are more often triple-negative.
Roughly 39–58% lifetime ovarian cancer risk, far above the ~1.1% general-population risk.
Also a high lifetime breast cancer risk (around 45–60%), and the gene most linked to male breast cancer.
Ovarian risk around 13–29%, with raised risk of pancreatic and high-risk prostate cancer.
Both follow autosomal-dominant inheritance — each child of a carrier has a 50% chance of inheriting the change, regardless of sex.
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Call the helpline or leave your details, and someone will help you arrange a consultation at the CION centre nearest you. One helpline serves every CION centre.
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A BRCA report does not say “yes cancer” or “no cancer.” It places your result in one of a few categories, and what to do next depends on which one. This is the conversation that matters most — at CION every result is explained in a 45-minute counselling session, never handed over as a bare lab sheet.
A harmful change was found. It means your cancer risk is higher than average — not that you have or will definitely get cancer. Many carriers never develop cancer. A positive result opens a personalised plan: earlier and more intensive screening, options for risk-reducing medicine or surgery, and the chance to inform and protect relatives. If you already have cancer, it can also change your treatment.
Used when a specific family mutation is already known and you did not inherit it. Your risk returns to roughly that of the general population, and standard age-appropriate screening (such as mammograms from around age 40) applies. This is the most reassuring kind of negative result.
No change was found, but no family mutation was known to test against. This does not fully rule out inherited risk — a change could exist in a gene not tested, or one science has not yet linked to cancer. Your screening plan is guided by your family history rather than the test alone.
A change was found, but there is not yet enough evidence to know whether it raises risk. Most VUS results are later reclassified as harmless. A VUS is generally managed like a negative result — based on family history, not the variant — and the lab will send an updated report if new evidence emerges.
A positive result is information, not a sentence. It lets you and your tumour board move from waiting to acting. The right combination depends on your age, family plans, the specific gene, and whether you already have a cancer diagnosis — which is why these decisions are made together, by a team, not by one doctor in a hurry.
Broadly, carriers have three families of options, used in different combinations:
Guidelines recommend starting breast screening younger and adding breast MRI to mammography, so any cancer is caught early when it is most treatable. There is no proven screening test for ovarian cancer, which is why prevention is discussed for the ovaries.
Bilateral risk-reducing mastectomy is the most effective way to lower breast cancer risk for carriers. Risk-reducing removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes (salpingo-oophorectomy) markedly lowers ovarian — and also breast — risk. These are personal, irreversible choices that we never rush; counselling covers benefits, complications and early menopause.
For some women, medicines such as tamoxifen may be discussed to lower breast cancer risk, and there is evidence that certain options reduce ovarian risk. Suitability is individual and decided in consultation.
If you are already diagnosed, a BRCA result can directly guide treatment. PARP inhibitors such as olaparib and talazoparib are targeted therapies designed for BRCA-mutated cancers, and BRCA-related tumours often respond well to certain DNA-damaging chemotherapies. Your medical oncologist confirms what is appropriate for your case.
BRCA testing cost in Hyderabad and across India typically falls between roughly ₹10,000 and ₹45,000, depending on the type of test and the laboratory. The biggest factor is scope: a focused test for one known family change costs far less than a full BRCA1/BRCA2 sequencing panel, and a wider hereditary-cancer gene panel costs more again. At CION we explain exactly what you are paying for before you decide — no unnecessary tests, and transparent costs are part of how we work.
Turnaround in India usually ranges from about two to four weeks after the sample reaches the lab, with many labs reporting around 15–25 days. Saliva or blood can be collected conveniently, and home collection is widely available in Hyderabad. We also discuss whether private health insurance may cover part of the cost, since some insurers reimburse genetic testing when there is a clear medical indication.
Lowest cost — used for cascade testing when a relative's exact change is already identified.
Mid-range — sequences both genes fully, with MLPA for large rearrangements.
Higher cost — tests BRCA alongside other hereditary cancer genes when family history is broad.
About 2–4 weeks from sample receipt; we keep you updated and book your counselling for when it arrives.
One person's BRCA result is rarely just about one person. Because the change is inherited in an autosomal-dominant pattern, each first-degree relative — parents, siblings, children — has a 50% chance of carrying the same change. Cascade testing is the process of offering focused testing to those blood relatives once a mutation is confirmed in the family.
Cascade testing is efficient and affordable: because the family's exact change is already known, relatives only need to be checked for that single variant rather than the whole gene. For relatives who test negative, it brings genuine reassurance. For those who test positive, it opens the same door to early screening and prevention — often years before any cancer would appear. We help you have these sensitive family conversations and coordinate counselling for relatives who want it.
Parents, siblings and children of a carrier each have a one-in-two chance of carrying the same change.
Relatives are checked only for the family's known variant — faster and cheaper than a full panel.
A negative gives peace of mind; a positive enables prevention long before symptoms appear.
We support how and when to share results, and offer counselling to relatives who choose to test.
CION Cancer Clinics is a woman-headed, tumour-board-led oncology group with 35+ centres across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, 17 super-specialist oncologists and over 150 years of combined experience. For BRCA testing that matters — because here, the test is wrapped in counselling, not sold as a kit.
Your journey starts with a 45-minute consultation to confirm whether testing is right for you, choose the appropriate test, and prepare you for every possible result. When your report arrives, a medical oncologist explains it in plain language and, if needed, your case is reviewed by our multidisciplinary tumour board so any screening, prevention or treatment plan reflects a team's judgement — not one opinion. The first consultation is free for all patients.
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Trained at AIIMS, Tata Memorial, and leading international centres. Combined 150+ years of experience. Every complex case is reviewed by 3+ of them — together.
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
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Talk to our team
Call the helpline or leave your details, and someone will help you arrange a consultation at the CION centre nearest you. One helpline serves every CION centre.
BRCA testing is recommended for people whose personal or family history points to an inherited cause. Common reasons include breast cancer diagnosed at age 50 or younger, any family history of ovarian cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, male breast cancer, several relatives with breast, ovarian, pancreatic or high-risk prostate cancer, or a relative who already carries a known BRCA change. A genetic counsellor or medical oncologist confirms whether you meet criteria before testing, so you avoid an unnecessary test. At CION, this assessment happens in your free first consultation.
It can be either. Because an inherited BRCA change is present in every cell of your body, it can be detected from a small blood sample (usually a 4 ml EDTA tube) or from a saliva sample. Neither requires fasting. Blood may cause a brief pinprick; saliva collection is completely painless, which suits people who dislike needles. Both methods are accurate. Home sample collection is widely available in Hyderabad, and your CION counsellor will help you choose the option that suits you.
Both are genes that help repair DNA, and a harmful change in either raises cancer risk — but they sit on different chromosomes and the risk pattern differs. BRCA1 carries a very high breast cancer risk (over 60% lifetime) and a notably high ovarian cancer risk (around 39–58%); BRCA1-linked cancers are more often triple-negative. BRCA2 also carries high breast cancer risk and is the gene most linked to male breast cancer, with raised pancreatic and high-risk prostate cancer risk. Knowing which gene is involved helps tailor your screening, prevention and treatment plan.
A positive result means a harmful change was found in BRCA1 or BRCA2. It means your cancer risk is higher than average — it does not mean you have cancer or that you will definitely develop it, and many carriers never do. A positive result is useful information: it lets you start earlier, more intensive screening, consider risk-reducing medicine or surgery, and inform relatives who may share the change. If you already have a cancer diagnosis, it can also guide treatment choices such as PARP inhibitors. At CION every positive result is explained in person and, where helpful, reviewed by our tumour board.
A VUS means a genetic change was found, but there is not yet enough scientific evidence to know whether it raises cancer risk. It is neither a clear positive nor a clear negative. Importantly, most VUS results are later reclassified as harmless as more data accumulates. For now, a VUS is generally managed like a negative result — your screening plan is based on your family history rather than the variant itself. Labs typically send an updated report if the variant's classification changes, and your CION oncologist will explain what it means for you.
BRCA testing cost in Hyderabad and across India usually ranges from about ₹10,000 to ₹45,000. The main factor is scope: a focused test for a single known family change is the cheapest, a full BRCA1 and BRCA2 sequencing panel sits in the middle, and a wider multi-gene hereditary-cancer panel costs more. Some private health insurers reimburse genetic testing when there is a clear medical indication. At CION we explain exactly what you are paying for before you decide and keep costs transparent — no unnecessary tests.
In India, BRCA results typically take about two to four weeks after the sample reaches the laboratory, with many labs reporting around 15 to 25 days. Focused single-variant tests for cascade testing can sometimes be faster than a full panel. The timeline depends on the test type and the lab. At CION we keep you informed during the wait and schedule your counselling session for when the report is ready, so you are never left to interpret a result on your own.
No. A positive BRCA result opens options — it does not force any single choice. Many carriers begin with enhanced screening, such as starting breast checks younger and adding breast MRI to mammography. Risk-reducing surgery (removing the breasts, or the ovaries and fallopian tubes) is the most effective way to lower risk for those who choose it, but it is a personal, irreversible decision that should never be rushed. Some women consider risk-reducing medicines instead. At CION, these choices are made with you, with full counselling on benefits and trade-offs, and reviewed by a tumour board.
If a BRCA change is confirmed in your family, your close blood relatives — parents, siblings and children — each have a 50% chance of carrying the same change, so cascade testing is recommended. Cascade testing is focused and lower-cost because relatives only need to be checked for the family's exact known variant. A negative result brings reassurance; a positive one lets that relative start prevention years before any cancer would appear. CION helps you navigate these sensitive conversations and offers counselling to relatives who choose to test.
No. A BRCA gene test is a germline test of inherited risk — it tells you whether you carry a change that raises your chance of certain cancers. It does not look at a tumour and it cannot diagnose cancer or tell you whether cancer is present right now. Diagnosis still relies on imaging, examination and biopsy. The value of the BRCA test is forward-looking: it guides how closely you should be screened, what prevention options exist, and, if you already have cancer, which targeted treatments may help.
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