Inherited Cancer Risk Test
Inherited Cancer Risk Test35 inherited cancer genes. GP-led. At-home nationwide or in-clinic in London. From £650
Cared for over 15,000 patients
Established 2016
The same test. Two ways to take it.
At-Home Saliva Kit
£650
Your kit is posted directly to you. You provide a saliva sample at home in your own time, return it by post, and we handle everything from there. Your GP consultation takes place by video before your kit is sent.
✓ Pre-test GP consultation by video
✓ At-home saliva sample kit posted to you
✓ 35 cancer genes tested
✓ UKAS and ISO 15189 accredited laboratory
✓ Results in approximately four weeks
✓ Scheduled GP results consultation
✓ Written results report
✓ GP letters and referrals as needed
In-Clinic Test
£900
Your GP consultation and sample collection take place together at our Fulham clinic in a single appointment. If you would rather do this with a doctor in the room, have your questions answered face to face, and have the sample taken care of for you, this is the option for you.
✓ GP consultation in clinic
✓ Saliva sample collected at Fulham clinic
✓ 35 cancer genes tested
✓ UKAS and ISO 15189 accredited laboratory
✓ Results in approximately four weeks
✓ Scheduled GP results consultation
✓ Written results report
✓ GP letters and referrals as needed
Why Genetic Testing Matters
Family History of Cancer
If a close relative was diagnosed with cancer, particularly at a young age, you may carry an inherited gene mutation without knowing it.
Your full genetic risk
Around 95% of people with an inherited cancer gene mutation in the UK have never been tested. Knowing your risk changes what you can do about it.
GP-supported throughout
Every result is reviewed with your Coyne Medical GP. You will never receive a report and be left to interpret it alone. Based in London, serving patients across the UK.
Accredited laboratories
All testing is carried out by specialist laboratories accredited to UKAS and ISO 15189 standards; the highest available in clinical genetics.
How It Works
Step One
GP consultation
By video for the at-home test, or in person at our Fulham clinic. Your GP takes you through your family history, explains what the test covers, and answers your questions.
Step Two
Your Sample
At-home patients receive a saliva kit by post and return it in the prepaid package. In-clinic patients have their sample collected at their appointment.
Step Three
Your Results
Results are ready in approximately four weeks. Your GP takes you through your report in full and agrees next steps with you.
What the test covers
35 genes. Every cancer type below.
Breast cancer
BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, ATM, CHEK2, BARD1, RAD51C, RAD51D, STK11, PTEN, TP53
Breast and ovarian cancer
BRCA1, BRCA2, BRIP1, PALB2, RAD51C, RAD51D, ATM, CHEK2, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, EPCAM, PTEN, STK11, TP53, BARD1
Bowel and Lynch syndrome
MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2, EPCAM, APC, BMPR1A, GREM1, MUTYH, NTHL1, POLD1, POLE, RNF43, SMAD4
Prostate cancer
BRCA1, BRCA2, ATM, CHEK2, HOXB13, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PALB2, EPCAM
Pancreatic cancer
BRCA1, BRCA2, ATM, PALB2, STK11, TP53, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, CDKN2A, EPCAM, VHL, APC
Melanoma and skin cancer
BAP1, CDK4, CDKN2A, MITF, POT1, PTEN, BRCA2
What Your Results Mean
Negative Result
No pathogenic variant was found in the 35 genes tested. This is the most common outcome and, for most people, a reassuring one. It does not eliminate all cancer risk, since there are non-genetic factors and genes beyond this panel, but it is a clinically meaningful finding. You will still receive a written report with recommendations for ongoing screening based on your personal and family history.
Positive result
A variant with established clinical significance has been found in one of the 35 genes tested. Your GP will explain what this means for your specific cancer risk, which cancers it is associated with, and what the recommended next steps are. This may include enhanced surveillance, risk-reduction options, or referral to a specialist. Your first-degree relatives may also wish to consider testing.
Why We Built This
Our co-founder, Dr Lucy Hooper, discovered her own PALB2 gene mutation while researching genetic screening for her patients. With a lifetime breast cancer risk of over 60%, she chose risk-reducing surgery, bringing her risk to under 5%.
Her experience is not unusual. What is unusual is that she knew to look. Most people in the same position never get the chance to make that choice, because they are never offered the test.
That is why genetic cancer screening is central to everything we do at Coyne Medical. Not as an add-on or an afterthought, but as one of the most important things we can offer the people who come to us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Inherited cancer gene testing analyses your DNA to identify variants in specific genes that are associated with a significantly higher lifetime risk of developing certain cancers. It is different from cancer screening tests such as a multi-cancer early detection blood test, which look for signs that cancer may already be present. Genetic testing tells you about your inherited risk before any cancer develops, allowing you to make informed decisions about surveillance, prevention, and lifestyle. The two types of testing are complementary rather than alternatives to one another.
The Association of British Insurers and the British Medical Association have agreed on a set of questions that insurers can ask your GP when you apply for life insurance. Your GP will be asked about any medical condition you have suffered in the past or are currently experiencing that may reduce your life expectancy. They are also allowed to ask about your family history. They are not allowed to ask or request the results of any predictive genetic testing. The only exception in the UK applies if you are applying for life insurance over £500,000 and you have previously taken a predictive genetic test for Huntington’s Disease. Only in this circumstance do you need to disclose the result if asked. This exception does not apply to any of the genes tested in this panel. If you have a strong family history of breast cancer and your result is negative, it may be in your interest to disclose this voluntarily. You are never obliged to, but some people choose to. You can read more about the ABI code on the Association of British Insurers website.
Both options test the same 35 inherited cancer genes, use the same accredited specialist laboratory, and include the same GP consultations, written report, and follow-up support. The only difference is where your saliva sample is collected. With the at-home option, a kit is posted to you after your video consultation and you return it by post. With the in-clinic option, your GP consultation and sample collection take place together at our Fulham clinic in a single appointment. Both options are £650 and £900 respectively.
A positive result means that a pathogenic variant has been identified in one of the 35 genes tested. Your GP will arrange a results consultation to explain what this means for your specific cancer risk, which types of cancer are associated with the variant found, and what the recommended options are. These may include enhanced surveillance such as annual MRI for high-risk BRCA carriers, medication options such as risk-reducing chemoprevention, or surgical risk reduction, depending on the gene and your individual circumstances. Our GPs can guide you into the appropriate NHS or private clinical pathway and will provide letters for any first-degree relatives who may wish to consider testing.
A negative result means that no pathogenic variant was detected in the 35 genes included in this panel. This is a clinically meaningful and, for most people, reassuring finding. It significantly reduces the likelihood that you carry a high-risk inherited variant in these specific genes. It does not eliminate all genetic cancer risk, since there are genes beyond this panel and non-genetic factors that also influence cancer risk. Your GP will discuss what appropriate ongoing cancer surveillance looks like for you based on your personal and family history.
We report only class 4 (likely pathogenic) and class 5 (pathogenic) variants, using the classification framework set by the American College of Medical Genetics. These are the variants with established clinical significance that are relevant to your health and actionable. Variants of uncertain significance are not reported, as they do not currently meet the threshold for clinical action and including them would not help you make meaningful decisions about your health.
Results are returned by the laboratory in approximately four weeks from sample receipt. For the at-home test, please allow additional time for kit delivery to you and return postage. We will contact you to schedule your results consultation as soon as your results arrive with us. The time from booking to receiving your results will typically be between five and six weeks for the at-home option and approximately four to five weeks for the in-clinic option.
Not necessarily. A negative result means that you have not inherited the specific variant being looked for in the genes on this panel. However, if a blood relative has already tested positive for a variant, that result is specific to them and their branch of the family. A negative result in one family member does not tell you whether other relatives carry the same variant. If a variant has been identified elsewhere in your family, targeted testing for that specific variant may be more appropriate than this full 35-gene panel. Your GP can advise on the best approach based on your family history.
Yes. The at-home 35 gene inherited cancer risk panel can be added to our Advanced Health Screening package for £650, or combined with a Multi-Cancer Early Detection blood test for a combined add-on price of £1,900. Inherited cancer gene testing is included as standard in our Ultimate Health Screening package, which also includes a 55 gene panel rather than 35 genes. If you are considering health screening alongside genetic testing, a Discovery Call with one of our GPs is a good starting point to identify the combination that best fits your needs.
We take the security of your genetic information extremely seriously. We will never sell or share your medical information or data. Your results are shared securely through our patient portal. The specialist laboratories we work with operate under strict rules governing the privacy of sensitive genetic data. You will be asked to consent to their receiving your sample and data before testing begins. You may choose to opt out of any anonymised research use of your data
Consumer DNA tests use a method called genotyping, which looks at common genetic variants and is designed for ancestry and general interest purposes. Our testing uses full-gene sequencing and deletion and duplication analysis via next-generation sequencing technology (NGS). This is the most accurate method available for identifying clinically significant inherited cancer gene variants. Consumer tests are not designed to guide medical decisions and should not be used for that purpose.
Tumour genes include those related to:
- Breast cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Uterine cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- Cutaneous melanoma (skin cancer)
- Gastric cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Renal cell cancer
- Thyroid cancer
Full List of Genes Tested:
APC, ATM, BAP1, BARD1, BMPR1A, BRCA1, BRCA2, BRIP1, CDH1, CDK4, CDKN2A, CHEK2, EPCAM, GREM1, HOXB13, MITF, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, MUTYH, NF1, NTHL1, PALB2, PMS2, POLD1, POLE, POT1, PTEN, RAD51C, RAD51D, RNF43, SMAD4, STK11, TP53, VHL
Want More Comprehensive Testing
Our Advanced Genetic Screening goes further
Our Advanced Genetic Screening tests 55 cancer genes rather than 35, and adds a 22-gene pharmacogenomics panel that tells you how your body processes common medications including statins, antidepressants, anaesthetics, and chemotherapy agents. £1,300.
Talk to a GP first.
Book a 30-minute Discovery Call with one of our GPs. We will talk through your history, concerns and goals, and help you decide which test is right for you. The £250 fee is fully credited against any test or package you go on to book.