Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Bishop, D. T.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Bishop, D. T.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Annals of Oncology 10:S113-S119, 1999
© 1999 European Society for Medical Oncology

Reviews

BRCA1 and BRCA2 and breast cancer incidence: A review

D. T. Bishop

ICRF Genetic Epidemiology Laboratory Leeds, UK

Correspondence to: Prof. D. Timothy Bishop, ICRF Genetic Epidemiology Laboratory, Ashley Wing, St. James's University Hospital, Beckett Street, LEEDS LS9 7TF, UK. e-mail: t.bishop{at}icrf.icnet.uk

Background. Epidemiological studies have repeatedly shown that having a family history is a risk factor for female (and male) breast cancer. Some rare families have many (4 or more) cases of early onset breast cancer (some of which also include women with ovarian cancer) which are most clearly explained by an autosomal dominant gene with high penetrance.

Design. Families with multiple cases of early onset breast (and/or ovarian cancer) have been studied using linkage analysis with the intention of finding the chromosomal region containing such genes.

Results. Two predisposition genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, have been mapped and cloned. Mutations in these genes confer increased risks of cancer, although the precise level of the increased risk is still unclear. The majority of families with four or more cases of breast cancer diagnosed under the age of 60 years are due to mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2.

Conclusions. The importance of these two genes to familial breast cancer and to breast cancer incidence overall is becoming clearer; the current information is reviewed. The findings can be immediately translated into clinical practice for these multiple case families. The identification of such families raises a number of other important clinical questions concerning patient management.

BRCA1, BRCA2, inherited susceptibility, penetrance, linkage mapping


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.