Most cancers arise from the accumulation of genetic changes that cells acquire throughout life. These changes are called somatic mutations. Somatic mutations are found only in tumor cells and are not passed on to children.
In contrast, some genetic changes may be present in the egg or sperm cell. These changes, called germline or hereditary mutations:
May be present in all cells of the body from birth.
May increase the risk of developing certain cancers.
May be passed from mother or father to child.
The brochure states that approximately 5-10% of cancers may be associated with hereditary germline mutations. However, detecting a hereditary genetic change does not necessarily mean that a person will develop cancer; it only indicates that the risk for some cancers may be higher than the population average.

A negative result indicates that no disease-associated change was detected in the genes examined within the scope of the test.




However, a negative result does not mean:

• ✓ That the cancer risk has been completely eliminated,
• ✓ That the person will never develop cancer in their lifetime,
• ✓ That family history is no longer important

Cancer risk can also be affected by age, family history, lifestyle, environmental factors and genetic factors not covered by the test. Therefore, the follow-up plan should be determined not only by the genetic test result but by taking into account all of the person's clinical characteristics.

Before the OncoNext® Risk test, the person's following information should be evaluated:

• ✓ Personal cancer history,
• ✓ Age at cancer diagnosis,
• ✓ Types of cancer seen in the family,
• ✓ Ages at diagnosis of relatives,
• ✓ Previous genetic tests

After the test, what the detected change means for personal risk, the follow-up program and family members should be explained. For this reason, it is recommended that the test be performed and interpreted with genetic counseling.