The findings of a large prospective cohort study involving 9,856 women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations indicate a 72% cumulative lifetime risk of breast cancer in those harbouring a BRCA1 mutation and a 69% risk for those harbouring a BRCA2 mutation. Futhermore, the cumulative lifetime risk of ovarian cancer was found to be 44% and 17% in those with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, respectively. The risk of breast cancer increased further in line with the number of first-degree, or second-degree relatives already diagnosed with either BRCA1-mutant or BRCA2-mutant breast cancer. These findings provide further evidence that will guide the counselling and treatment of women harbouring these mutations.
References
Kuchenbaecker, K. B. et al. Risks of breast, ovarian, and contralateral breast cancer for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers. JAMA 317, 2402–2416 (2017)
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Sidaway, P. BRCA-mutant breast/ovarian cancer revealed. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 14, 524 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2017.104
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2017.104