Bingo, slave. You hit the nail on the head.
'Knowing' robs the patient of hope. Would you want to know you were going to get a disease for which there is no cure?
What most patients also have to fear besides diagnosis is insurance coverage, something Ms Jolie is spared because of her particular circumstances. Nothing wrong with that, but...genetic testing is risky business.
The December 24, 2012 issue of "Time" magazine deals with this very important and life altering decision. I highly recommend it.
That's all for now.
p.s. the BRCA (pronounced "brac") also reveals risk of ovarian cancer, which has little to no screening available.