Hereditary Cancer Syndromes and Medicare Funded Testing

Medicare funded testing for Hereditary Cancer Syndromes in Australia

In addition to genes associated with breast, ovarian, prostate, colon and uterine cancer, Medicare funded testing is also available for some important but uncommon cancer types and hereditary cancer syndromes.

  • Von Hippel Lindau syndrome, associated with kidney cancer, haemangioblastoma, pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (item item 73333, VHL gene, although other genes such as SDH genes usually included.)
  • A rare kind of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid cancer (item item 73338, RET gene)
  • A rare kind of stomach cancer called diffuse gastric cancer (item item 73296, CDH1 gene).
  • Rare conditions called Peutz Jeghers syndrome and PTEN Harmatoma syndrome (item item 73296, genes STK11 and PTEN).