Ace Stryker - Daily Herald | Posted: Monday, October 27, 2008 11:00 pm
Emerging science suggests that your genes may influence your chances for breast cancer more than traditionally thought.
As part of an ongoing project to decipher the human genome, experts have identified two genes tied to breast cancer risk, known simply as BRCA (short for Breast Cancer) 1 and 2. When either of these genes is inherited in an altered form, it carries with it an 85-percent risk of developing breast cancer some day, said Dr. Jennifer Tittensor, a general surgeon with Utah County Surgical Associates.
"These people already have one hit," she said. "They're already carrying one mutation."
Slightly more than a quarter of all breast cancer cases involve inherited gene mutations, according to Cornell University's Program on Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors. Scientists discovered BRCA1 in 1994, and the discovery of BRCA2 followed a year later. The genes have also been linked to a patient's increased risk of developing ovarian cancer or of developing cancer earlier in life.
For that reason, those who can afford the tests often choose to have their breasts or ovaries removed when they're done having children.
The science surrounding these breast cancer genes is relatively new, and tests are expensive -- often upwards of $3,000 -- and seldom covered by health insurance. But knowing you carry one means doctors can now "almost guarantee" you will fight breast cancer during your lifetime, Tittensor said.
"Lots of people are asking about this stuff now," she said. "It can affect every generation."
Men with BRCA2 are at an especially high risk for developing breast cancer, though it's still much lower than that faced by women. There is also a greater chance that those who have the gene will get prostate cancer at some point.
Dr. Jay Clark, a radiation oncologist at American Fork Hospital's Cancer Center, said he rarely encounters people who know whether they possess one of the genes. Rather, more people relay information about close family members who have had breast cancer -- one sign that the gene may be present.
"That's fairly typical, but we also see a number of patients with no family history," he said.
Tittensor anticipates that awareness of the genes will grow as technology advances, making it easier in the future to identify their presence. There are, however, still many more questions than answers about how genetics affect breast cancer, she said.
"Certainly there's several other genes that are involved," she said.
Their eventual discovery is, like so much else in the medical community, a matter of time.
• Ace Stryker can be reached at 344-2556 or astryker@heraldextra.com.