Referral of women newly diagnosed with gynaecological cancer for genetic assessment is based on their personal and family history, their histopathology (high grade serous ovarian cancer in suspected BRCA1/2 mutation carriers or endometrioid, mucinous, clear cell or mixed endometrial or ovarian cancer in suspected Lynch Syndrome) or abnormal mis-match repair immunohistochemistry [2]. The gene discussed is BRCA1; the disease is ovarian serous adenocarcinoma.