BRCA: The Breast Cancer Gene
BRCA is a gene that heightens the risk for certain cancers in the body. There are different variants of the BRCA gene; BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 are the most prominent. The purpose of the gene is to repair damaged DNA, but mutations can put patients at a higher risk for cancer. These mutations are hereditary genes which makes smaller groups of people more susceptible to the gene, as there is the mixing of similar genetic pools. Getting genetic testing at 18 is a great way to assess the risks of getting BRCA-linked cancer. New ways to test involve a saliva test instead of getting blood drawn. Among people who get genetic testing for BRCA, women with the mutation are more likely to get the linked cancers than men, although many men get linked cancers from being BRCA-positive patients.
There are many cancers that BRCA mutations can create a heightened risk for cancers such as breast cancer (for both males and females), ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, fallopian tube cancer, primary peritoneal cancer, and pancreatic cancer. Some methods can reduce the risk of getting BRCA-related cancers such as surgical prevention and hormone therapy.
Many BRCA-positive women choose to remove their breast tissue via prophylactic mastectomies and have their ovaries removed. Because of BRCA’s hereditary nature, BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 are most common in Ashkenazi Jewish populations with 2% of people, usually with a founder mutation. Norwegian, Dutch, and Icelandic populations also carry founder mutations, with different populations having different mutations.
References:
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/genetics/brca-fact-sheet
