Breast Cancer Gene Tied to Diagnosis at Younger Age
FRIDAY, Oct. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Women with a high genetic risk of developing breast cancer are being diagnosed sooner than similar women in the past, which may suggest that tumors are developing earlier in the younger generation, researchers say.
The finding, presented at the 2009 Breast Cancer Symposium, held last week in San Francisco, could potentially affect how women are screened for breast cancer.
About 5 percent to 10 percent of breast cancer cases are thought to be connected to a genetic mutation that's also linked to ovarian cancer. Women with the mutations, known as BRCA1 or BRCA2, have an increased risk of developing breast tumors. Over a lifetime, 60 percent of them will develop the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. By comparison, 12 percent of women in the general population will develop breast cancer.
Women who have the genetic mutation -- or whose mothers or aunts have it -- are advised to be screened for breast cancer starting when they are 25. Mammography and MRI are now recommended for these women.
In the new study, the researchers examined the medical records of 132 women with the genetic mutation who took part in the University of Texas M.D.
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