Breast Cancer Awareness Month; Understanding the role of genetics

Have you ever wondered why some people are more at risk of developing breast cancer than others? While many factors can come into play, including the person’s age, lifestyle, and environment, about 10 percent of cases are the result of a genetic predisposition. Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, here’s a look at the role that genetics play in this all-too-common disease.

Genes and their variants
A mutation is a change in the DNA sequence of a gene, which can potentially disrupt its proper functioning. While some gene variants occur naturally during your lifetime, others are passed down from your parents. This means that if either your mother or father has a gene variant, there’s a 50 percent chance you’ll inherit it. The danger is if this mutation is in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, which are the most common causes of hereditary breast cancer.

Hereditary risk factors
In addition to having a higher risk of breast cancer, people with this genetic mutation are also more likely to:

• Be affected by cancer before the age of 50
• Have more than one type of cancer at the same time
• Develop rare types of cancer
• Have family members with the same type of cancer

Do you think you might be genetically predisposed to breast cancer? If so, ask your doctor for a referral to a specialist who can review your family and medical history and assess your level of risk.