Greenville Business Magazine 2009 October : Page 13››columns Genetic Risk for Breast Cancer BY SARAH VIDITO, D.O. as cancer. However, it should be noted that at least 90 percent of most breast cancers are not related to inherited mutations. With BRCA 1, the risk of getting breast cancer is 55 to 85 percent by age 70.BRACA 2 has a risk factor of 30 percent by age 50 and lifetime risk of up to 85 percent. Genes seem to have two major roles in cancer. Some, called oncogenes, can cause cancer. Others, known as tumor suppres- sor genes, stop cancer from developing or growing. A tumor suppressor gene is like the brake pedal on a car. It normally keeps the cell from dividing too quickly, just as a brake keeps a car from going too fast. When something goes wrong with the gene, such as a mutation, cell division can get out of control. The chance of having an inherited form of breast cancer is higher the younger women are when they get the cancer and the more relatives they have with the disease. A woman with a strong family history of breast cancer may choose to undergo genetic counseling to estimate her risk for inherited breast cancer. She then can choose to be tested to find out if she has a breast cancer gene mutation. If a mutation is present, the woman has a high risk of developing breast cancer before age 40. She may start getting mammograms at a younger age and increase frequency of screening to detect cancer earlier. Or, she may seek to reduce her risk of getting breast cancer with other measures such as chemoprevention. The likelihood that you have mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes is greater if one or more of the following state- ments is true for you: M any women are concerned that breast cancer seems to run in their family. Could it be genetic? Women who have a first-degree relative (such as a mother, sister or daughter) with breast cancer are about twice as likely to develop breast cancer as women without a family history of this cancer. Inherited breast cancer can be caused by several differ- ent genes, but the most common mutations are BRCA1 and BRCA2 which occur in approximately 0.1 percent of individu- als (one in 1,000 people). Inherited mutations in these genes cause hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome (HBOC). Along with breast and ovarian cancer, this syndrome can also lead to male breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer as well as some others. Although this gene occurs in the general U.S. population, this syndrome is more common in Jewish women of Eastern European descent (Ashkenazi).However, most women with a family history of breast cancer have not inherited one of these abnormal genes, and not all women who have inherited one will have cancer. Genes are pieces of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). They con- tain the instructions on how to make the proteins the body needs to function, when to destroy damaged cells and how to keep the cells in balance. We all remember from high school biology class that they control things such as hair color, eye color and height. They also can affect your chance of getting certain diseases, such • you are younger and have been diagnosed with breast cancer (below age 50) • your mother, sister or daughter has had breast cancer before age 50 or ovarian cancer at any age • a woman in your family has had both breast cancer and ovarian cancer • a woman in your family has had breast cancer in both breasts • your family is of Ashkenazi Jewish descent • a male in your family has had breast cancer Consider what the information from testing might mean and what effect it might have on you and your family. Genetic testing of this sort is still in the research phase. Therefore, all physicians and healthcare professionals need to provide pre- test and posttest counseling about what the potential results could be and what they mean, as well as support and follow-up for dealing with this knowledge. Expert counseling is crucial whenever genetic testing is undertaken. Remember, most women who get breast cancer do not have an inherited gene mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2. But, all women should be screened with routine mammograms and clinical breast exams. ■ Dr. Vidito is a Medical Oncologist at Palmetto Hematology Oncology in the Gibbs Cancer Center at Spartanburg Regional. OCTOBER 2009 | GREENVILLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE 13 >>columns - Genetic Risk for Breast CancerSarah Vidito, D.O.Many women are concerned that breast cancer seems to run in their family. Could it be genetic? Women who have a first-degree relative (such as a mother, sister or daughter) with breast cancer are about twice as likely to develop breast cancer as women without a family history of this cancer. Publication List |
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