Angelina Jolie has said that the cost of testing for breast cancer genes 'remains an obstacle for many women'. The actress, who underwent a double mastectomy in 2013, was referring to a genetic test that currently costs more than $3,000 (£2,000). Now a Silicon Valley-based start-up is offering an at-home DNA saliva test that detects the same gene mutations but is priced at only $249 (£167). A Silicon Valley-based start-up is offering an at-home DNA saliva test to detect the same gene mutations priced at just $249 (£167). It tests for mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 . It tests for mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2, along with 17 other markers, all of which are linked to an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Women with a mutation in BRCA1 have a lifetime risk of up to 80 percent for developing breast cancer and up to a 50 percent chance of developing ovarian cancer. The company behind the test, Color Genomics, was founded by Elad Gil, a former cancer researcher at MIT and Otman Laraki, a former engineer at Twitter and Google. 'We founded Color because we want to give every person the opportunity to understand their genetic risk of cancer,' said Dr Gil. Angelina Jolie recently said that the cost of testing for breast cancer genes 'remains an obstacle for many women'. The actress, who is pictured here with her husband Brad Pitt, was referring to a genetic test that currently costs more than $3,000 (£2,000) 'This important information gives people the opportunity to work with their physician to manage their risk and make key life choice.' To get hold of the test, a physician will need to order it online, with the patient receiving a kit at home. The kit has instructions on how to take a sample of saliva and send it back to a central lab for processing. 'We want to make sure that there is always a physician involved,' the founders told Quartz. Color Genomics is currently available in 45 states and is hoping to comply with regulations required in New York, Maryland, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Florida. However, the test has received mixed responses with some saying it might not be useful, and could even be harmful. 'I worry it will give women information that we really don't know what it means - and that women will make very difficult choices that turn out to be incorrect,' Frances Visco of the National Breast Cancer Coalition told NPR. 'If we have more women who believe they are at increased risk,' Visco says, 'we will have more women removing healthy body parts. 'We really do not have enough information to base this kind of expansion of this kind of testing.' Color Genomics did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com for comment. Researchers found coffee can stop the growth of tumours in women who have already been treated with the drug tamoxifen . Just two cups of coffee a day could halve the risk of breast cancer returning in women recovering from the disease, a study has found. Researchers found coffee can stop the growth of tumours in women who have already been treated with the drug tamoxifen. Tamoxifen is the main hormonal therapy drug given to women who have not been through the menopause, and is usually taken for five years or longer after treatment for breast cancer. Most breast cancer tumours rely on the hormone oestrogen to grow, and tamoxifen blocks oestrogen from reaching the cancer cells. This means the cancer either grows more slowly or stops growing altogether. As part of the study, Swedish and British researchers looked at data from 1,090 breast cancer patients, in a follow up of a similar study carried out two years ago. They found that more than 500 women who had been treated with tamoxifen, and those that had drunk at least two cups of coffee a day, had only half the risk of their cancer returning than those who drank less coffee, or none at all.
Test is being offered by Silicon Valley-based start up Color Genomics.
It tests for 19 gene mutations linked to ovarian and breast cancer.
Works by asking patients to send back a sample of saliva to a central lab.
Test is available in 45 US states and needs to be ordered by a physician.