Familial Breast Cancer Doesn't Always Boost Ovarian Cancer Risk
Posted on: Tuesday, 20 September 2005, 18:00 CDT
TUESDAY, Sept. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Women with a strong family history of breast cancer but no evidence of breast cancer gene mutations aren't at any increased risk of ovarian cancer, according to a new study.
The study focused specifically on mutations in two genes, called BRCA1 and BRCA2. Both mutations have strong ties to an increased risk for both breast cancer and ovarian malignancies.
In fact, the risk for ovarian cancer in families with BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations is six- to 61-times higher than normal.
However, it's also known that up to 50 percent of families with a strong history of breast cancer don't have mutations in either BRCA1 or BRCA2.
In the latest study, researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City studied 199 families that experienced multiple cases of breast cancer, but whose members were not identified as BRCA mutation carriers.
During follow-up, 19 new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in the study group -- three times more than the expected six cases. Only one case of ovarian cancer was diagnosed -- about the same as would be found in a similar-sized group of women with an average breast cancer risk.
Reporting in the Sept. 21 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the researchers concluded that the women in the study group weren't at any increased risk of ovarian cancer compared to women without a family history of breast cancer. However, they also noted the genetic cause of up to 50 percent of hereditary breast cancer cases remains unknown.
Until publication of this study, there's been limited information to offer to families with a strong history of breast cancer as to their risk for ovarian cancer, the study authors noted.
More information
The American Cancer Society has more about ovarian cancer.
SOURCE: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, news release, Sept. 20, 2005~-OVA~~-BRS~~WMEN~~GENT~
Source: HealthSCOUT
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