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What is “PRS”?A Polygenic Risk Score (PRS) is a new way to estimate your genetic risk for certain health conditions. Instead of looking for a single genetic change that causes a disease (like changes in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes for breast cancer), a PRS looks at thousands of common small genetic differences across your entire genome. Each of these small differences might only slightly increase or decrease your risk, but a PRS adds them all up to provide an overall score. Think of it as measuring the combined "burden" of many genetic variants that contribute to your risk. Scientists are actively working to improve PRS for various conditions.How is PRS different from traditional genetic testing?Most genetic cancer tests only check for a few big, well-known mutations—like BRCA1 or BRCA2. If you’ve got one, your risk goes way up. But here’s the thing: those tests only tell part of the story. Enter polygenic risk scores (PRS). Instead of just looking for one or two major gene changes, PRS looks at up to millions of small ones across your DNA. Each one might not mean much on its own, but together they can add up to a real difference in your overall cancer risk. Even if your traditional genetic test says you’re in the clear, PRS might show you’ve still got elevated risk. It basically compares your DNA to a huge group of people and tells you where you fall—like top 10% risk, average, or lower than average. Used together, PRS and traditional testing give you a fuller picture of your genetic risk, so you’re not flying blind when it comes to your health.What can PRS tell me?Your Polygenic Risk Score (PRS) gives you a snapshot of how your DNA stacks up when it comes to common health conditions—things like heart disease, diabetes, or certain cancers. It doesn’t say you will get something, but it can tell you if you’re at higher or lower risk compared to most people.Here’s what that info can actually do for you:<ul><li>Start screening earlier. Got a high PRS for colon cancer? Your doctor might suggest earlier or more frequent colonoscopies or mammograms.</li><li>Get proactive. High risk for melanoma? That’s your cue to step up your sun protection game.</li><li>Fill in the blanks. Even if other genetic tests come back “normal,” a PRS can reveal hidden risks.</li><li>Clarify gray areas. If you’ve got gene mutations with unclear impact, a PRS can add more detail.</li><li>Personalize your care. One day, PRS could help predict how you’ll respond to treatments or how fast a disease might progress—early research is promising.</li><li>See the bigger picture. Your PRS works best alongside your age, sex, lifestyle, and family history to give a full view of your health risks.</li>
</ul>Think of it as a cheat sheet for your future health—powered by your DNA.What are the limitations of PRS?It’s a Risk, Not a Guarantee A high PRS means your genes may raise your chances of developing a condition—but it doesn’t mean you’ll definitely get it. And a low score doesn’t make you invincible. It’s about risk, not destiny.Not Super Precise (Yet) Right now, PRS can’t perfectly predict who will or won’t get a disease—especially in the general population. It might be more helpful if you already have a family history of something.It’s Complicated to Understand PRS results can come as percentiles or risk ratios—but turning that into “what does this actually mean for me?” is tricky. Even doctors need special training to explain it clearly.Not All Tests Are Equal Some companies now sell PRS tests directly to consumers, but they don’t all use the same methods. Also, third-party interpretation tools are mostly unregulated and might not follow healthcare privacy rules like HIPAA. Read the fine print before you share your data.It Can Affect Your Family Too Since PRS is about genetics, your results could have implications for your relatives—but there’s still no clear guidance on how to share that info.It Might Stress You Out Getting a “high risk” result could be upsetting or make you anxious. But for some, it’s actually motivating. The key is understanding that your genes are part of the picture—not the whole story.  How is Galatea’s PRS different from other PRS reports? Most PRS models were built using data from people of European ancestry. That means results may be less accurate for folks from other backgrounds, which can make existing health inequalities worse. Scientists are working to fix this with more diverse data. Galatea’s PRS was built using data from a proprietary global database of individuals from around the world. Thus our algorithms are trained on the most diverse dataset and are better at estimating risk for individuals with mixed ethnic backgrounds.What does my Percentile Risk score mean?Your percentile risk tells you where your genetic risk falls compared to a large group of other people (a reference population). For the Galatea PRS, your risk is compared to a large group (~1000) of individuals genetically similar to you. Our research has shown that anyone with a percentile risk above 90% has an elevated risk for disease (over a lifetime) of over 2-fold or more compared to their genetic peers. It's important to remember that risk does not mean guarantee as your actual risk depends on other ractores like lifestyle, environment, and family history.What does a “Fold Risk” mean?Fold risk is a way to describe how much more likely you are to develop a disease based on your polygenic risk score (PRS) compared to your reference group. A higher PRS means you are in a higher percentile of genetic risk and may face, for example, a 2-fold or 4-fold increase in odds of disease compared to someone at average or lower genetic risk. This measure is relative, not absolute—it indicates an increased likelihood, not a certainty, of developing the condition.What does lifetime risk percentage mean?Lifetime risk based on PRS is an estimate of the probability of developing a disease over a person's life, derived from their genetic makeup (quantified by PRS) combined with other known risk factors, acknowledging that this genetic predisposition is only one part of a complex picture of lifetime health.What should I do with these results?You can potentially use your PRS results to engage in personalized screening, be motivated towards healthier lifestyles, discuss potential preventive treatments, and inform future treatment decisions in consultation with your medical provider. Talk to your doctor to see if actionable interventions might be started early to delay/prevent disease onset.<div> </div>

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Cancer PRS