Breast cancer: family history and genetic

Breast cancer: family history and genetic

According to media mom Angelina Jolie is lost due to ovarian cancer and her aunt lost due to breast cancer, she herself also carries the gene mutation prone to breast cancer and ovarian cancer than normal people. Therefore, this article mentions two factors to be considered are family history and BRCA.

Family history and risk of breast cancer

If the family has a loved one with breast cancer is the 1st of relationship (mother, sister or daughter) then your risk of breast cancer increased by 2 times compared to ordinary people, risk this will increase 3 times if you have two sick relatives. We do not yet know the cause of this condition, can people in the same family have the same living conditions and genetic factors shared many similarities. However, you should not worry too much about this, US statistics show that less than 15% of breast cancer patients have relatives with breast cancer and, in Vietnam, a survey of cancer patients breast cancer Sciences - Thu Duc Hospital showed that only about 7% of patients with the first family also had breast cancer. Those who have relatives with breast cancer are at risk for BRCA mutations is higher than others.

BRCA Mutations

This is a topical issue. BRCA, including BRCA1 and BRCA2 2, is in fact a tumor suppressor gene, helping to ensure the stability of the DNA and prevent cells grow uncontrollably. When BRCA mutation will facilitate abnormal cell overgrowth and causes cancer. BRCA-related breast cancer and ovarian cancer, which are more related to breast cancer. Actually gene mutations inherited only about 5-10% of breast cancer cases, it is the statistics in European countries - the US, Vietnam has no major study on this issue, but from studies of other Asian countries showed mutation rate even lower. Thus, the majority of breast cancer cases occur individually, so readers should not be too worried about the mutation problem.

Starring Angelina Jolie

Starring Angelina Jolie

Also, not everyone mutated gene into cancer progression, the ability of cancer vary greatly from 24-85%, more than 4-6 times higher than normal, depending on the type of mutation, family history itself ... Therefore, even for those who carry gene mutations, doctors can not be sure that one is sure to develop into cancer, all speculative with numbers relative percent. The identification of BRCA mutations is not recommended for everyone. According to the US National Cancer Institute, only those with high-risk new mutation testing and counseling before and after testing must be done by a doctor specializing in oncology, genetic undertaking, which must stated the resolve to receive the results.

These women should genetic testing:

- There are 2 people familiar first relationship with breast cancer, including patients 1 to 50 years before.

- Have 3 or more relatives of the relationship first or 2nd (her aunt) with breast cancer.

- Have someone close relationship first and second breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

- Have someone close relationships both first 2 breast cancer.

- There are 2 or more relatives of the relationship first or second ovarian cancer.

- Have someone close relationship was first or second breast and ovarian cancer at the same time.

- Or in families with male breast cancer.

Essentially BRCA tumor suppressor gene, helping to ensure the stability of the DNA and prevent cells grow uncontrollably

Essentially BRCA tumor suppressor gene, helping to ensure the stability of the DNA and prevent cells grow uncontrollably

If you do not carry BRCA testing mutant also does not mean you do not have the risk of breast cancer, the risk just is not as high as those with the mutation alone so you should still perform periodic inspections .

Unfortunately, if you carry BRCA mutations also does not mean that you definitely have breast cancer and there are many ways to help you cope with this problem. You can choose how closely monitored, with the means of diagnosis such as ultrasound, mammography, and breast MRI allows detection of small changes in the breast. Note there is no blood test to detect breast cancer. Surgery is the most thorough method to prevent cancer in women at high risk, but surgery is only effective up to 90%, ie about 10% of women after surgery is prevention of breast cancer. Prophylaxis is also a new direction.

BRCA testing and the problems that come with it are very complex, requiring doctors and patients to be awake and wisdom in judgment and interpretation of the results, not simply the percentage dry .