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.
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“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
