10/28/2026
This is really important for patients who are tested before the 2010-2015 range. Not everyone had complete panel testing! Updated testing includes new genes that have been discovered since initial BRCA1/2 testing. 
A negative genetic test in 2009. A PALB2 pathogenic variant discovered more than a decade later.
When journalist Susan Berger was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997, she underwent a lumpectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, and years of hormone therapy.
In 2009, she had genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2. Her results were negative.
For years, Susan believed she had no identified hereditary cancer risk.
That changed in 2021, when one of her three daughters unexpectedly learned she carried a pathogenic variant in PALB2 during fertility-related genetic testing.
Susan underwent updated genetic testing and discovered she carried the same variant. A second daughter also tested positive.
The discovery prompted important medical decisions. Susan underwent risk-reducing surgery, including a bilateral mastectomy and removal of her ovaries and fallopian tubes. Her daughters took steps to manage their risks, and additional family members pursued genetic testing.
Perhaps most striking is that Susan was not only a breast cancer survivor but also an experienced medical journalist who had written extensively about health and medicine.
Yet no one had recommended updated genetic testing.
Her story illustrates an important missed opportunity.
Hereditary cancer genetic testing has changed significantly over the years. Earlier testing may have examined only BRCA1 and BRCA2, while today’s multigene panels can identify pathogenic variants in additional genes associated with increased cancer risk.
If you underwent genetic testing years ago, particularly if your results were negative, consider asking your healthcare provider or a genetic counselor whether updated testing may be appropriate.
A negative result years ago may not tell the whole story today.
