23andMe can now tell you if you're at risk for breast cancer

DNA illustration.
(Image credit: iStock.)

You may soon be able to test your risk for breast cancer from the comfort of your own home.

The FDA will allow genetic testing company 23andMe to give its customers information about their risk for breast cancer, it announced Tuesday. 23andMe's "Health + Ancestry" DNA test purports to detect genetic markers linked to several diseases, including celiac disease, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's, in addition to other traits like eye color, hair loss, and lactose intolerance. For its breast cancer testing, it focuses on the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, as mutations in those genes most often lead to breast and ovarian cancer.

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Shivani is the editorial assistant at TheWeek.com and has previously written for StreetEasy and Mic.com. A graduate of the physics and journalism departments at NYU, Shivani currently lives in Brooklyn and spends free time cooking, watching TV, and taking too many selfies.