Women who have a strong family history of breast cancer have double the chance of developing it themselves. But the exact mechanisms through which that happens remain partially mysterious, and finding them could help identify new ways of screening and treating the disease. Now researchers working around the world found 65 new variants, according to a new paper. They account for about 4 per cent of that heightened chance.
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Mutant versions of the two genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 have by far the biggest impact on breast cancer risk. Inheriting either of these genes raises the lifetime risk of developing the disease by as much as 90% for BRCA1 and 85% for BRCA2. It also increases the risk of ovarian cancer to a lesser degree. Other genetic variants linked to breast cancer are much less potent on their own, but their effects add up.
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Professor Jacques Simard, from Laval University in Quebec city, Canada, another member of the international team, said: “Using data from genomic studies, combined with information on other known risk factors, will allow better breast cancer risk assessment, therefore helping to identify a small but meaningful proportion of women at high risk of breast cancer.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: Scientist find some of the genetic variant responsible for increasing women’s chance of breast cancer
