Hereditary breast cancer: a review

Breast cancer is the most common female malignancy and a major cause of dea th in middle-aged women. A positive family history of breast cancer is one of the strongest risk factors for the disease. In addition, many afflicted breast cancer families are characterized by early onset and bilateral tumor s, and also, in some cases, associated malignancies, most commonly ovarian cancer. It is estimated that 5-10% of all breast cancer cases are due to au tosomal dominant genes segregating with the disease. Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are known to predispose to breast and ovarian cancer in ma ny families. Other genes are only involved in very rare syndromes, and addi tional genes remain to be disclosed.