People in Scotland with a grandparent from Westray in Orkney or Whalsay in Shetland are to be offered genetic screening for variants associated with an increased risk of certain cancers.
The screening will look for two variants previously found to be particularly common among people with ancestry from the islands. A BRCA1 variant associated with Westray ancestry is linked to an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer (see BioNews 1183). While a BRCA2 variant associated with Whalsay ancestry is linked to breast and prostate cancer, as well as breast and ovarian cancer in women (see BioNews 1242).
Currently, testing is available to close relatives of people known to carry the variants, and to people with breast, ovarian or prostate cancer who have relevant ancestry. Under the new programme, anyone in Scotland with a grandparent from either island will be eligible for a saliva test.
Testing is due to begin in Orkney in 2027, before being extended to Shetland and then the Scottish mainland in 2028.
Viking Genes, the overarching study, aimed to investigate the genetic diversity of people from Orkney and Shetland.
Please visit BBC News for more on this story.