While mutations of the BRCA gene can increase a woman’s chances of developing breast and ovarian cancers, the presence of the gene made no difference in survival for women aged 40 years or younger who were diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, according to a recent study….
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According to the lead author of the study, Diana Eccles, a professor of Cancer Genetics, these results are important because there is a commonly held misconception that carrying a BRCA mutation worsens the prognosis of a patient who develops breast cancer.
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Eccles went on to explain that the results of the study highlight the notion that younger, BRCA-positive patients diagnosed with breast cancer can at least temporarily put off decisions about preventive bilateral mastectomy and rely on regular screening for recurrence instead.
“Younger women will (tend to) take the most extreme treatment anybody will offer, because they think it will give them a better chance of surviving,” she said.
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Eccles added that having non-essential surgery while being treated for cancer might compromise the body’s immune system, jeopardizing the response to therapy.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: BRCA Gene Does Not Predict Poor Prognosis in Patients With Breast Cancer
