What is the Gail Model Risk Assessment?
The Gail Model Risk Assessment can estimate a woman’s relative risk of developing breast cancer by using information about her personal and family medical history. It was developed by Dr. Mitchell Gail, a senior investigator in the Biostatistics Branch of National Cancer Institute’s Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics. The Gail Model uses five factors to determine risk: • Race • Age • Age at first menstruation • Age at first live birth of a child • Number of close relatives who have had breast cancer • Number of previous breast biopsies By entering information about those five factors, the model will quickly determine a woman’s relative risk. If, according to the model, a woman’s relative risk of getting breast cancer in the next five years is 1.8 percent or greater, she should talk to her doctor, who might recommend further assessment through the UVA High-Risk Breast and Ovarian Cancer Program. If the Gail Model says you have a high relative risk, remember: it is not a predic
