Breast Care - Family history & genetic predisposition
If you have a mother, sister or daughter with breast or ovarian cancer or both, or a male relative with breast cancer, you have a greater chance of also developing breast cancer. In general, the more relatives you have who were diagnosed with breast cancer before reaching menopause, the higher your own risk. Between 5 percent and 10 percent of breast cancers are inherited. Abnormalities in one of several genes, especially BRCA1 or BRCA2, put you at greater risk of developing breast, ovarian and colon cancers. Usually these genes help prevent cancer by making proteins that keep cells from growing abnormally. But if they have a mutation, the genes are not as effective at protecting you from breast cancer.If you have a strong family history of breast cancer or other cancers, blood tests may help identify defective BRCA genes that are being passed through the family. In general, testing is beneficial only if the results will help you make a decision about how you might best reduce your breast or other cancer risk. Options range from lifestyle changes and closer screening and therapy with medications such as tamoxifen to extreme measures such as preventive (prophylactic) bilateral mastectomy and removal of your ovaries (oophorectomy).
.
© 2009
University Surgical Consultants