| Every woman runs the risk of getting breast | | | | They are born with this abnormal gene. 85 |
| cancer and as she gets older, the chances are | | | | percent to 90 percent of breast cancers are as a |
| greater. The chances of a woman getting breast | | | | result of acquired genetic abnormalities. |
| cancer is 14 percent or one in every eight | | | | The chances that an individual will have an |
| women, when you consider a lifetime of a | | | | abnormal breast cancer gene are: |
| woman, assuming she lives up to the age of | | | | . If a single individual in the family suffers from |
| about 90 years. If you consider that in your | | | | both ovarian and breast cancer. |
| lifetime of 90 years, the chances are 14 percent | | | | . If on either the individual's mother's or father's |
| that you will get the disease. The good news is | | | | side sisters, aunts, mother or grandmothers have |
| that 86 percent you will not get the disease. | | | | had breast cancer diagnosed before the age of |
| How does genetics affect your chances of | | | | 50. |
| getting breast cancer? | | | | . A male in the individual's family has had breast |
| Most of the inherited cases of breast cancer have | | | | cancer. |
| been linked with the two genes Breast Cancer | | | | . The women in the individual's family have had |
| gene 1 (BRCA1) and Breast Cancer gene 2 | | | | cancer in both their breasts. |
| (BRCA2). These two genes play a role in keeping | | | | . If the individual is from Eastern Europe. |
| the breast cells growing normally and preventing | | | | If an individual's mother or father has an abnormal |
| any cancerous cell growth. However, abnormal | | | | breast cancer gene, the chances of the gene |
| BRCA 1 and BRCA2 gene increase an individual's | | | | passing onto that individual is 50 percent. The |
| risk from breast cancer. These genes usually | | | | chances of the individual passing it onto their |
| account for almost up to 10 percent of all breast | | | | children is 25 percent, provided the father does |
| cancers. | | | | not have an abnormal gene. It does not |
| Whilst a majority of women who get breast | | | | necessarily mean that all family members will have |
| cancer have no family history of the disease, the | | | | an abnormal gene if one family member has it. |
| women who are diagnosed with the disease and | | | | Men and breast cancer |
| also have an abnormal BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene | | | | Men are at an increased risk from breast cancer |
| often are women with a family history of the | | | | if they inherit the abnormal breast cancer genes. |
| disease. | | | | Over a man's lifetime, the risk is about 6 percent, |
| These abnormal BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes can | | | | which is about 80 times more than for a man |
| either be acquired or inherited. Acquired is non | | | | with no abnormal breast cancer genes. |
| hereditary and the gene becomes abnormal as a | | | | Research has also shown that men who have an |
| result of an error in how the gene reproduces, | | | | abnormal breast cancer gene are more likely to |
| wear and tear, exposure to toxic material, | | | | get prostate cancer than men who do not have |
| hormonal influence, diet, environmental factors or | | | | it. This abnormal gene also has the same |
| sometimes even unknown factors. Inherited from | | | | increased effect on cancer of the digestive tract |
| parent, that is one normal gene from one parent | | | | or on cancer of the skin. |
| and one abnormal gene from the other parent. | | | | |