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The sister of a colleague has died from ovarian cancer…[However,] [t]hey’re [also] reeling from the shock of learning that their…father had passed on a female gene which probably caused his daughter’s cancer .
They, in common with most families, were under the impression that breast and ovarian cancer genes are handed down from one generation to the next via the female line.
And they are – sometimes. Not only that, these cancer genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2,…are also implicated in ovarian cancer, and prostate cancer too.
Men with either of the faulty genes have a one in 10 risk of developing breast cancer themselves and a 25% risk of prostate cancer.
…
Most families don’t realise that the father’s side can raise their risk of getting breast and ovarian cancer.
Most women just assume that breast cancer comes down the mother’s line only.
…
It works the other way too. Men run a risk of developing prostate cancer if there’s genetic breast cancer in the family.
Read full, original post: Breast cancer and ovarian cancer genes can be passed on by men to their children
