Hereditary cancer costs should be reimbursed, says Swiss Cancer League
Keystone / Hannibal Hanschke
In the event of a proven hereditary predisposition, women suffering from breast or ovarian cancer should be entitled to reimbursement of the costs of preventive operations, says the Swiss Cancer League.
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Custos com câncer hereditário devem ser reembolsados, defende Liga Suíça contra o Câncer
It recently submitted a request to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) for the law to be revised accordingly.
At present, basic insurance covers the costs of surgical removal of the breast or ovary only in cases of BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, the Swiss Cancer League said in a press release on Tuesday. However, reimbursement is not provided for other mutations that entail a comparable risk.
Breast cancer is due to a genetic predisposition in 5-10% of cases. The rate rises to 10-20% for ovarian cancer. By surgically removing the affected organ, the risk of cancer is almost completely eliminated, the umbrella organisation said.
The aim of the request submitted to the FOPH is to make preventive operations accessible to the women concerned, and to ensure that these patients receive in-depth advice beforehand.
Cancers of the prostate, colon, rectum and skin can also be hereditary in origin, but are not covered by the Swiss Cancer League’s request.
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