Mammogram Screening Day In Langford Jun 19, 2008
Genetic alterations (changes)-Specific alterations in certain genes (BRCA1, BRCA2, and others) increase the risk of breast cancer. These alterations are rare; they are estimated to account for no more than 10 percent of all breast cancers. (Marshall County Journal, SD)
Cancer-blocking chemo not being offered Jun 3, 2008
Studies in 25,000 women have shown clear benefit for those with family risk, but it is less clear if it is effective for women carrying the specific high risk genes BRCA1 and BRCA2, because of the nature of the tumour types. The study questioned 23 specialists on their attitude towards the therapy and found nine "barriers" to offering the therapy. (Sydney Morning Herald)
Breast Cancer Rates Projected To Soar May 30, 2008
Professor Gareth Evans led the study of 1,442 women who carried the high-risk genes BRCA1 and BRCA2, on behalf of the Manchester-based Genesis Breast Cancer Prevention Centre. Around one in 500 people are said to carry the gene mutations which give women an 85-90% risk of breast cancer. (Sky News)
New Immunization Strategy Could Be Effective Against 10 To 15 Percent Of All Cancers May 28, 2008
6, 1998) Tumors caused by a specific mutation in the cancer gene BRCA2 appear to be especially vulnerable to radiation and certain chemotherapy drugs, researchers at the Vanderbilt Cancer Center have found. (Apr. (Science Daily)
Personal Health: Red flags for hereditary cancers May 28, 2008
You might be familiar with the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations that are strongly linked to breast and ovarian cancer in women and somewhat less strongly to breast and prostate cancer in men. A woman with a BRCA mutation faces a 56 to 87 percent chance of contracting breast cancer and a 10 to 40 percent chance of ovarian cancer. (International Herald Tribune)
Cancer test a genetic crystal ball for Jewish women May 25, 2008
They plan to do that by offering adult Jewish women in Ontario, with no known family history of breast or ovarian cancer, the blood test to screen for three specific mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, beginning this Thursday ... One in 44 Ashkenazi Jewish people carry the mutation, he noted; in the general population, an estimated one in 400 individuals carries a mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 ... Based on the one-in-44 risk factor, 7,440 Ashkenazi Jewish Canadians are unwitting carriers of... (Globe and Mail -- Business)
Prostate risk has family link to breast and ovarian cancer May 20, 2008
They are encouraging men from families with a history of breast or ovarian cancer to consider being tested for the gene, known as BRCA2 ... The national manager of kConFAb, Heather Thorne, said having a faulty BRCA2 gene not only increased the cancer risk ... "The BRCA2-prostate cancers that arise in these men also tend to be more aggressive," she said. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Some doctors still cautious of gene tests May 6, 2008
At the same time, states have adopted a patchwork of protections, and steadily growing use of two of the best-proven tests for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations linked to breast and ovarian cancer suggests that lingering concern hasnt been a huge deterrent for people with strong family histories of disease. But until now, most genetic testing has been for conditions linked to single genes gone wrong, typically rare ones. (MSNBC -- Health)
Simultaneous Breast-Ovary Surgery Feasible May 2, 2008
Women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations are known to be at greatly increased risk of both breast and ovarian cancer, Dr. Funda Meric-Bernstam and colleagues point out. By 70 years of age, up to 85 percent of carriers will develop invasive breast cancer and up to 65 percent will develop invasive ovarian cancer, the team from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston notes. (MEDLINEplus)
New Technologies Offer More Accurate Means Of Diagnosis And Monitoring Cancer Apr 21, 2008
23, 2006) Women with mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes can significantly reduce their risk of certain types of cancer by having their ovaries removed, according to a study in the July 12 issue of. (Apr. (Science Daily)
States Crack Down On Online Gene Tests Apr 19, 2008
For example, 23andMe tests for some gene variants involved in mildly raising breast cancer risk, but not genes called BRCA1 and BRCA2 that vastly raise breast cancer risk. Harvard Medical School's Mark Daley says if you found out that you had genes that slightly reduced the risk of cancer, but didn't check for the real cancer-causing gene like BRCA1, "you get a potentially dangerously misleading answer.". (Forbes -- Business)
Breast cancer risk amplified by additional genes in combo with BRCA mutation Apr 17, 2008
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine join an international consortium of research groups that looked at more than 10,000 women carrying a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation for breast-cancer risk. These results suggest that knowledge of a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation is necessary, but not sufficient, to fully understand cancer risk in women who carry these mutations, says co-author and head of the North American coalition Timothy R. Rebbeck, PhD, Professor of Epidemiology at Penn... (EurekAlert!)
Standard chemo works better against metastatic BRCA1/2 breast cancer than against sporadic tumors Apr 17, 2008
Berlin, Germany: The first study to investigate the effects of chemotherapy on metastatic breast cancer in women with the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation has shown that standard chemotherapy works better in these patients than in women without the BRCA1/2 mutation. The authors of a study presented today (Thursday) at the 6th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-6) in Berlin found that women with BRCA2-associated breast cancer had a significantly higher response rate, a longer time without the... (EurekAlert!)
Hereditary Breast Cancer: Some Women Choose Mastectomy Over Lifetime Surveillance Apr 16, 2008
Women with mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes have an estimated lifetime risk of developing breast cancer of about 85. Currently strategies to deal with this risk are surveillance with monthly breast self-examination, bi-annual clinical breast examination by a physician and annual mammography plus breast MRI, or prophylactic mastectomy, where the entire breast is removed. (Science Daily)
Coordinated prophylactic surgical management for women with hereditary breast-ovarian cancer syndrome Apr 15, 2008
Women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations have a substantially increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer compared with the general population. Therefore, prophylactic mastectomy (PM) and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) have been proposed as risk-reduction strategies for BRCA1/2 mutation carriers. (BioMed Central)
Five Years Later, Patient On Vaccine Trial Still Free Of Ovarian Cancer Apr 8, 2008
2, 2008) Israeli investigators have found that Ashkenazi Jewish women with ovarian cancer who have mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes lived significantly longer than Ashkenazi Jewish ovarian cancer. . (Science Daily)
'Pretty' author defies breast cancer destiny Apr 1, 2008
Mutations in another gene, BRCA2, also raise the risks of both cancers. Ten thousand to 15,000 people have tested positive for the mutations, says Kauff, who estimates that several thousand have had surgery to reduce their risk. (USA Today)
MRI's High False Positive Rate Has Little Impact On Women's Choice Of Preventive Mastectomy Mar 28, 2008
The researchers from the Hereditary Cancer Clinic at Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, followed 196 women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, aged between 21 and 68 for an average of two years (a range of between one and nine years). Once the women had discovered that they carried a BRCA mutation (which gives a lifetime risk of breast cancer of up to 85 per cent and for ovarian cancer of up to 60 per cent) they made six-monthly visits to hospital to be examined... (Science Daily)
Breast MRI scans 'commonly wrong' Mar 26, 2008
Researchers at the Hereditary Cancer Clinic at Nijmegen Medical Centre followed 196 women with the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation which has been linked to breast cancer. On their first visit, they were asked whether they had a preference for ongoing surveillance in the form of scans, or whether they would rather have their breasts removed as a precaution. (BBC News -- Health)
Breast cancer gene carriers' risk 'amplified' by additional genes Mar 25, 2008
Cancer Research UK scientists have found that common versions of two genes - FGFR2 and TNRC9 - known to increase risk in the general population - also increase the risk in women carrying damaged versions of the BRCA2 gene ... On average, half of women carrying a faulty BRCA2 gene will develop the disease by the age of 70 ... This study found that particular combinations of the FGFR2 and TNRC9 genes modify breast cancer risk in BRCA2 mutation carriers. (News-Medical.net)
Read this before buying a home testing kit Mar 25, 2008
FACT: A BRCA gene test does not test for cancer itself only for mutations, or changes, in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes that may increase the chance of developing certain cancers over a lifetime ... FACT: About half of women who inherit a mutation, or abnormality, in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes receive it from their father ... FACT: Men who have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation are at an increased risk to develop cancer, namely breast and prostate, so knowing their genetic status will help them better manage... (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Health)
Family Discussion Plays Role in Breast Cancer Awareness Mar 23, 2008
Genetic testing looks for BRCA1 and BRCA2, two genes in which mutations greatly increase the risk of breast cancer ... In the interviews, the researchers gathered information about the participants' cancer history, perceived risk, worry, medical mistrust, cancer fatalism, family/physician communication, race-based experiences, and knowledge and attitudes towards BRCA 1 and BRCA2 genetic testing. (Health-Finder)
Family discussions about cancer impact upon genetic test decisions Mar 22, 2008
Participants were asked about their cancer history, whether they felt they were at risk, the extent to which they had discussed the disease with their doctors and families, and how much they knew about counselling and testing for the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2, which are responsible for around one quarter of hereditary breast cancer cases. Dr Kristi Graves, a clinical psychologist in the Cancer Control programme at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Centre, revealed that there was no difference in... (Cancer Research UK - News & Resources)
Jan Aitken reveals why she chose to have double mastectomy Mar 2, 2008
Lila and I were shocked to be told we would have to wait until we were 32 before we qualified for BRCA2 tests - and in Northern Ireland, where we lived, it could take seven years to get the results, compared to 12 weeks in England ... The BRCA1 result came back in 2001 and the BRCA2 result came back in 2006 - four years after Lila's death. (Mirror.co.uk)
North-East pioneers new drug for cancer Feb 28, 2008
Dr Ruth Plummer, a senior lecturer in medical oncology and the chief investigator on the trial, said: "People who inherit faults in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes have a 50 to 80 per cent chance of developing cancer."Currently, women with hereditary forms of breast and ovarian cancer are treated in the same way as every other woman who develops the disease ... Mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes are responsible for about five per cent of the 44,000 cases of breast cancer diagnosed annually in the... (The Northern Echo)
Breast Cancer Gene Carriers Need Dual Screening Feb 28, 2008
She added that her team is "currently working to extend our model of breast cancer natural history and screening in BRCA1 gene mutation carriers to women who carry BRCA2 mutations, and women whose lifetime risk of breast cancer exceeds 20 percent -- these women are defined by the American Cancer Society as being at 'high-risk' of developing breast cancer.". SOURCE: Radiology, March 2008. (MEDLINEplus)
Personalized Medicine Can Cut Breast Cancer Risk Feb 20, 2008
"A growing body of evidence has documented the benefits of preventive measures for high-risk women including those with mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes," said Funmi Olopade, MD, the Walter L Palmer Distinguished Service professor of medicine and director of the Cancer Risk Clinic at the University of Chicago Medical Center ... "More than ten years after BRCA1 and BRCA2 were identified as major breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility genes," Olopade added, "primary care providers should... (Science Daily)
Benefit Of Cancer Prevention Surgery Differs Between Women With BRCA1 And BRCA2 Mutations Feb 15, 2008
14, 2008) The surgical removal of the ovaries has been widely adopted as a cancer-risk-reducing strategy for women with either BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations. A new multicenter study led by researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) is the first prospective examination of the impact of this procedure in which BRCA2 mutation carriers were analyzed separately from BRCA1 mutation carriers ... All previous studies evaluating this approach have only examined BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation... (Science Daily)
Ovary Removal Protects Some High-Risk Women Feb 14, 2008
BRCA2 carriers get twice the reduction in breast cancer risk that BRCA1 carriers do, study finds ... TUESDAY, Feb. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Women who carry the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations that raise the risk for both breast and ovarian cancer should weigh a new finding that suggests having your ovaries removed provides greater protection against breast cancer if you have the BRCA2 mutation ... Women with an inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation have up to an 80 percent chance of developing breast cancer... (MEDLINEplus)
Pre-emptive strike on cancer hope Feb 11, 2008
" Professor Herbie Newell, Cancer Research UK's executive director of translational research, said: "This research deepens our understanding of why some breast cancer patients with a faulty BRCA2 gene may stop responding to treatment. "This type of research is becoming increasingly important as we seek to tailor cancer therapies to individual patients.". (BBC News -- Health)
Study reveals why certain ovarian cancers develop resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy Feb 11, 2008
While these findings are based on the study of ovarian-cancer cells from women with inherited mutations in the BRCA2 gene, they also may help explain the mechanics of cisplatin resistance in ovarian-cancer patients with BRCA1-gene mutations ... Because BRCA1 and BRCA2 have similar functions in terms of DNA repair, we may be able to generalize these findings for women with either mutation, said Taniguchi, an assistant member of the Hutchinson Centers Human Biology and Public Health Sciences... (EurekAlert!)
Radical surgery to curb cancer Feb 4, 2008
Most are among a minority of people diagnosed through genetic testing with a mutation in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which carries a high risk of getting both breast and ovarian cancer ... The mutation in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes also carried lifetime risk of between 30 to 40 per cent for ovarian cancer ... " More often they chose options including screening with mammography, ultrasound and MRI, and taking the breast cancer medication Tamoxifen, which Dr Kollias said reduced the risk by around... (Advertiser Adelaide)
New Pathway Provides More Clues About BRCA1 Role In Breast Cancer Jan 19, 2008
29, 2007) Men with mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes are at greater risk of breast cancer than the general population. Male breast cancer accounts for less than 1 percent of all breast cancers in the U.S.. (Science Daily)
Breast Cancer Gene Testing Less Likely Among Blacks Jan 19, 2008
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - African American women are generally less likely than white women to pursue genetic testing for BRCA1 or BRCA2, the gene mutations associated with an increased risk of break cancer, researchers report. However, African American women with a recent diagnosis of breast cancer are much more likely to do so, according to the article in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. (MEDLINEplus)
Should Children Be Permitted To Get Genetic Testing For BRCA 1/2 Mutations? Jan 18, 2008
21, 2006) BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations may be more common in the general population than previously reported and may be associated with ovarian, breast, testicular and pancreatic cancers, according to a study in. (Nov. (Science Daily)
Breast Cancer Gene Risk May Be Overstated Jan 10, 2008
Many women fear that breast cancer is inevitable if they are found to carry mutations in the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 ... Some 181 carried mutations in either BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, the team found ... Rather, it simply asserts greater variation in breast cancer risk among carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 which does not inherently say anything about overall risk (e. (Yahoo News -- Cancer)
Breast Cancer Risk Varies Significantly Among BRCA1 And BRCA2 Carriers Jan 10, 2008
9, 2008) There is a broad variation in the risk of developing breast cancer among people who carry the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutation, according to a new article ... BRCA2 carrier status," said lead author Colin Begg, PhD, Chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, "and the risks in carriers and their relatives must be influenced by other risk factors ... " BRCA1 and BRCA2 are gene mutations that predispose carriers to breast cancer. The... (Science Daily)
Breast cancer gene may not be only determinant of disease, study shows Jan 9, 2008
So a woman who knows she has a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation still cannot know precisely what her risk of breast cancer is, the researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association ... They found that 5 percent of those with cancer in one breast had a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation and 15 percent of those with cancer in both breasts did ... And 58 percent of those with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations had a mother, sister, or other close relative with the disease, the researchers said. (Boston Globe)
Breast-Cancer Genes May Pose Lower Risk Jan 9, 2008
Researchers didn't use the commercial test, but did independently test patients for mutations to BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. A Myriad spokesman said the company is familiar with past research from Colin Begg, who led the study. (Wall Street Journal)
BRCA Mutations Don't Raise Breast Cancer Risk Equally Jan 9, 2008
TUESDAY, Jan. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Not all carriers of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations show the same risk for developing breast cancer ... It is known that the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations raise a woman's risk for developing breast cancer, so the degree of that risk is critical in helping a woman make choices about prevention. (Health-Finder)
Breast Cancer Gene Might Extend Ovarian Cancer Survival Jan 3, 2008
THURSDAY, Jan. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Ashkenazi Jewish women with ovarian cancer live significantly longer if they carry specific mutations of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes known to raise risks for breast cancer ... The researchers also looked at ovarian cancer survival depending on whether women had a BRCA1 or a BRCA2 mutation ... Women with BRCA1 mutations lived a median of just over 45 months, and women with BRCA2 mutations lived a median of 52. (Health-Finder)
Study links ovarian cancer survival to gene change Jan 2, 2008
Ashkenazi Jewish women who had changes in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes were 28 percent less likely to die from the disease over a follow-up period of up to nine years during the study even though such mutations increase the chances of developing breast or ovarian cancer in the first place, the researchers said. "It's possible that patients with these mutations respond better to chemotherapy -- hopefully, once we learn more about the mechanisms of the response, tailoring individual treatment will... (Reuters India)
Ashkenazi ovarian cancer patients with BRCA mutations live longer than those with normal gene Jan 2, 2008
Alexandria, VAIsraeli investigators have found that Ashkenazi Jewish women with ovarian cancer who have mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes lived significantly longer than Ashkenazi Jewish ovarian cancer patients without these mutations ... The researchers also analyzed ovarian cancer survival according to whether women had a BRCA1 or a BRCA2 mutation ... 1 months, and women with BRCA2 mutations lived a median of 52. (EurekAlert!)
Breast Cancer Gene Mutation More Common In Hispanic, Young Black Women, Study Finds Dec 28, 2007
7, 2004) Two studies in the January 7 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute suggest that mutations in the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 are not associated with an increased risk of colorectal. . (Science Daily)
BRCA1 Mutation Prevalent Among Hispanic, Younger Black Women Dec 28, 2007
However, Weitzel noted that this latest study does not take BRCA2 mutations into account, which also increase the risk for breast cancer ... "BRCA2 usually accounts for about a third more cases in each group," he said. (MEDLINEplus)
Breast cancer's genetic marker Dec 26, 2007
The scientists, who included researchers from Stanford University in California and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, are also looking for mutations of the BRCA2 gene, another cancer gene identified with Jewish women. The genes normally perform a helpful function - suppressing cancer just as it's developing. (SunSpot.net)
Varying prevalence among ethnic groups of gene mutation that increases risk of breast cancer Dec 26, 2007
While there has been great debate about the role of race/ethnicity in health research, clinicians interested in providing patients with personalized assessment of cancer risk must understand the contributions of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in diverse populations, because potential modifying factors particular to patients race/ethnicity, family history, ancestral country of origin, and environmental factors may work in concert to influence outcomes. . (EurekAlert!)
Ranbaxy Award for Cambridge cancer scientist Dec 21, 2007
He and his colleagues had been researching why cancer was more frequent in some families; and, in particular, why women who inherited a faulty copy of a gene known as BRCA2 had a high risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer. They demonstrated that the BRCA2 gene worked as a guardian of the information encoded in the human genome by repairing damage in the genetic material, DNA. They also determined the steps that led to cancer in women who inherited the faulty gene. (Hindu)
Two genes play role in breast cancers linked to mutation Dec 16, 2007
BRCA1 and its cousin BRCA2 account for less than 15 percent of all breast cancers. Previous Story. (North County Times)
Men unaware of their cancer risk when female relatives test positive for BRCA mutation Dec 15, 2007
Daly and her colleagues interviewed 24 men, each with a first-degree female relative who tested positive for having a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. The women reported telling the results of their genetic test result to the male relative in the study, though only 18 of the men remember receiving the results. (EurekAlert!)
Should you test your breasts? Dec 14, 2007
Some 10 genes are connected to breast cancer -- the often-cited BRCA1 and BRCA2 are just two of them. This means a test showing you're "BRCA-free" doesn't mean you're off the hook. (CNN)
Scientists link gene mutation to breast cancer Dec 11, 2007
"Women with BRCA1 and BRCA2," Lu said of two cancer-related genes, "have up to an 85 percent chance of developing breast cancer, and up to a 60 percent chance of ovarian cancer. So the mechanism is very important.". Like PTEN, BRCA1 when healthy "will protect us and repair DNA," Lu said. (Newsday -- Sports)
Research Ties Another Gene To Breast Cancer Dec 10, 2007
BRCA1 and its cousin BRCA2 account for less than 15 percent of all breast cancers. Copyright 2007 by. (Click2Houston, TX)
New study reveals for first time how BRCA1 mutations cause breast cancer Dec 10, 2007
Similar research is underway in tumors from carriers of germline mutations in BRCA2, the other known major breast cancer susceptibility gene, said Dr. Borg. BRCA2 has a role downstream in the same DNA double strand break repair pathway as BRCA1, but tumors from BRCA2 mutation carriers have a quite different phenotype compared to BRCA1 tumors, less often involving PTEN loss ... However, like BRCA1, BRCA2 tumors have an instable genome with massive chromosomal aberrations, suggesting that other... (EurekAlert!)
Breast Cancer Risk Elevated In Male BRCA Mutation Carriers Nov 30, 2007
29, 2007) Men with mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes are at greater risk of breast cancer than the general population ... Previous studies have shown that men who carry mutations in the BRCA2 gene have a greater risk of developing breast cancer than men in the general population ... The risk of developing breast cancer was higher in male BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, compared with noncarriers, but BRCA2 mutation carriers had the highest risk. (Science Daily)
BRCA Genes Raise Breast Cancer Risk for Men Too Nov 30, 2007
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes that increase the risk of breast cancer for women also do the same in men ... Previous studies have shown that men who carry mutations in the BRCA2 gene are at greater risk of developing breast cancer than men in the general population ... "At all ages, the cumulative risks of male breast cancer were higher in both BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers than in noncarriers," the researchers report in the Journal of the National Cancer... (MEDLINEplus)
Get the backstory on genetic diseases Nov 29, 2007
Familial breast cancer can be caused by either the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. The BRCA genes are autosomal dominant - meaning that if one inherits the gene, it will be expressed. (Daily Iowan, IA)
Breast cancer gene, smoking link 'high' Nov 27, 2007
The major international review is the first to show a connection between the disease and tobacco in women with the highest risk breast cancer genes, BRCA1 or BRCA2 ... 3 increased risk after smoking for five years or more, while BRCA2 smokers had a 2 ... Dr Jenkins says BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, when functioning normally, repair the type of DNA damage caused by carcinogens such as cigarette smoke. (The Age)
$1000 to analyse your DNA Nov 20, 2007
Professor Jones added that 95 per cent of new breast cancer cases were not caused by either of the two genes - BRCA1 and BRCA2 - known to cause a predisposition to the disease. Dr Fred Kavalier, a spokesman for the British Society for Human Genetics, said: "Genetics is an extremely complicated field, and we simply don't have sufficient information to be able to predict people's risk of develping disease based on a reading of their genetic profile.". (Times Online)
A bitter inheritance: More women are being tested for gene mutations linked to breast cancer, but don't know what to do next Nov 3, 2007
She carried the BRCA1 gene, one of the two most prevalent genes linked to breast cancer (the other is BRCA2) ... Those mutations are of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA stands for breast cancer) genes. (Racine Journal Times, WI)
Men Get Breast Cancer Too Oct 26, 2007
Although there are certainly several genes that contribute to breast cancer, mutations in two of them BRCA1 and BRCA2 are known to increase the odds of both breast and ovarian cancers ... Studies suggest that certain populations with an unusually high proportion of people carrying BRCA2 mutations in Sweden, Hungary, Iceland, and among Ashkenazi Jews may have a higher incidence rate of breast cancer in men. (Time.com)
Management of an Inherited Predisposition to Breast Cancer Oct 18, 2007
The probability that mutation carriers have a high sensitivity to ionizing radiation may not be negligible,2,3 as was shown regarding the BRCA2 mutation in an animal model. 4 This risk is. (New England Journal of Medicine)
Avoiding Breast Cancer Oct 16, 2007
Two main factors put a woman at high risk for developing breast cancer - having a family history of breast cancer and/or carrying an altered gene called BRCA1 or BRCA2. Not all women with a family history carry the gene. (The Clarion-Ledger)
Breast Cancer and BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutations Oct 11, 2007
NEJM -- Prognosis of Breast Cancer in Carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutations ... Prognosis of Breast Cancer in Carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutations ... To the Editor: Rennert et al. (July 12 issue)1 report that a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation was not a significant predictor of mortality from breast cancer in an Israeli population-based cohort. (New England Journal of Medicine)
Low-fat diet after menopause seems to reduce risk of ovarian cancer, researchers find Oct 10, 2007
Mutations in the so-called breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 also increase the risk of ovarian cancer - and women in the new study have not been tested for those genes to see whether the low-fat diet proves more or less beneficial for them. Why would diet affect ovaries. (Boston Globe)
