Why choose our Hereditary Cancer services?
Commitment to quality
End-to-end service
We provide selected or multiple components of the testing pathway from sample collection, DNA extraction, sequencing, secondary and tertiary analysis of approved genes (see Panels below), customised clinical reporting and genetic counselling.
UK-based laboratory
All testing, analysis and reporting is conducted at our UK-based laboratory.
Rapid turnaround time
We can deliver rapid results, in less than 20 working days of receiving the sample.
Clinical expertise
Clinical results are reported by our expert team of RCPath and HCPC-registered Clinical Scientists supported by genetic counselling services through our network of registered GCRB (Genetic Counsellor Registration Board) and AHCS (Academy for Healthcare Science) counsellors.
What our customers say
"I have been very impressed with the laboratory service provided by IGL for the NHS Jewish Community BRCA testing programme. They have been highly proficient regarding the laboratory analyses and variant interpretation, as well as the logistical aspects of establishing workflows. That many have come from NHS laboratories is evident in their familiarity with our requirements. The team are professional, knowledgeable, engaged and a pleasure to work with"
Clare Turnbull MD PhD FFPH FRCP FRCPath
Professor of Cancer Genetics | Division of Genetics and Epidemiology, Institute of Cancer Research, London; NHS Consultant in Clinical Cancer Genetics (Honorary) | Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust; Consultant in Public Health Medicine (Honorary ) | National Disease Registration Service
Hereditary Cancer Panels
With expertly curated panels in line with current literature and national testing guidelines, all genetic variants that we report are peer-reviewed and clinically significant.
We offer a range of Hereditary Cancer Panels to study genes associated with the most common hereditary cancers ranging from a comprehensive multi-cancer panel to targeted panels including breast, ovarian, colorectal, prostate, melanoma and pancreatic cancers.
Our ISO 15189:2022 Comprehensive Hereditary Cancer is our flagship panel. The full gene list for this panel and the other subtype options are shown in the table below.
If you require bespoke genes, please get in touch to discuss your specific requirements.
| Comprehensive Hereditary Cancer Panel | APC, ATM1, BAP1, BARD1, BMPR1A, BRCA1, BRCA2, BRIP1, CDH1, CDK4, CDKN2A, CHEK22, EPCAM3, GREM1, HOXB13, MTIF, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, MUTYH, NF1, NTHL1, PALB2, PMS24, POLD1, POLE, POT1, PTEN, RAD51C, RAD51D, RNF43, SMAD4, STK11, TP53, VHL |
| Hereditary Breast Cancer Panel | ATM, BARD1, BRCA1, BRCA2, CHEK2, PALB2, PTEN, RAD51C, RAD51D, STK11, TP53 |
| Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Panel | ATM, BARD1, BRCA1, BRCA2, BRIP1, CHEK2, EPCAM*, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PALB2, PTEN, RAD51C, RAD51D, STK11, TP53 |
| Hereditary Prostate Cancer Panel | ATM1, BRCA1, BRCA2, CHEK22, EPCAM3, HOXB13, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PALB2 |
| Hereditary Colorectal Cancer (including Lynch Syndrome) Panel | APC, BMPR1A, EPCAM, GREM1, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, MUTYH, NTHL!, PMS2, POLD1, POLE, PTEN, RNF43, SMAD4, STK11, TP53 |
| Hereditary Melanoma Cancer Panel | BAP1, BRCA2, CDK4, CDKN2A, MTIF, POT1, PTEN |
| Hereditary Pancreatic Cancer Panel | APC, ATM, BRCA1, BRCA2, CDKN2A EPCAM3, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PALB2, STK11, TP53, VHL |
Table 1. The genes included in each panel.
For more detail regarding gene coverage and regions of interest, contact us to discuss in more detail.
What our patients say
In November 2023, my daughter-in-law sent me a WhatsApp message linking to the NHS BRCA Screening programme stating, ‘I am getting tested, are you?
The test arrived promptly, and I sent it off in early December without a second thought. So, it was a huge shock to open the results letter in early January to find out that I had the BRCA gene mutation that could lead to several cancers, including ovarian.
How are samples sequenced?
Our Hereditary Cancer service is delivered through our Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) pipeline. We use Cell3 target enrichment and Illumina sequencing to generate high-quality sequencing data.
An in-house bioinformatic pipelines have been developed to include but not limited to detection of single nucleotide variants (SNVs), indels and copy number variants (CNVs).
To ensure high confidence in the results, key performance parameters have been determined through extensive validation of the Cell3 chemistry.
The report
The UKAS accredited clinical report provides detailed information on clinically significant findings, with information on variant interpretation, classification, impact of results and any further recommended actions. This is provided in a clear and concise document underpinned by Best Practice Guidance UKAS ISO 15189:2022 standards.
Genetic counselling
Full genetic counselling is available for patients prior to testing to discuss appropriate gene and family history and after testing to all appropriate family members to explain test results and any associated implications, as well as onward referral and further testing where required.
Genetic counselling services are provided by our experienced network of registered GCRB (Genetic Counsellor Registration Board) and AHCS (Academy for Healthcare Science) counsellors.
Research service
A larger panel incorporating >100 genes is available for research only use.
Sample requirements and acceptance criteria
FAQs
We interpret genetic variants using published peer-reviewed guidelines, best practice and supporting evidence in line with national standards including ACMG (American College of Medical Genetics), ACGS (Association for Clinical Genomics Science) and CanVar-UK (Cancer Predisposition Gene Variant Database) specifications including all relevant supporting material.
Using evidence-based criteria, variants are described as pathogenic, likely pathogenic, variants of unknown significance, likely benign and benign.
We standardise our interpretation using the latest clinical decision support software providing our HCPC-registered Clinical Scientists with up-to-date evidence and tools supported by internal and external database resources for determining the pathogenicity of variants.
Yes, the BRCA 1 185delAG (c.68_69delAG), BRCA1 5382insC (c.5266dupC), and BRCA2 6174delT (c.5946delT) gene variants can be detected by the Comprehensive Hereditary Cancer Panel, the Hereditary Breast Cancer Panel, the Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Panel, the Hereditary Prostate Cancer Panel and the Hereditary Pancreatic Cancer Panel.
