A growing number of Spokane-area women who are at high risk for inherited breast or ovarian cancer are turning to their genes for answers, in the hope that what they find might save a life - their own or a family member's. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, striking one in eight women in the U.S., says Dr. Joni Nichols, of Spokane-based Cancer Care Northwest. While ovarian cancer is more rare - striking one in 67 women - it's called a "silent killer" because it often goes undetected until reaching an advanced stage, Nichols says. Between 5 percent and 10 percent of women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer have a strong family history of cancer that would indicate they may have a genetic predisposition to the...
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