mutation and the life altering decisions I've had to make.
"I am more than boobs and tubes...I have a life to live!"
http://pinkandteal.blogspot.com/
BRCA blogs:
http://www.networkedblogs.com/topic/BRCA
BRCA information from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center:
What are the risks associated with a mutation in the BRCA1 gene?
Women with a mutation in the BRCA1 gene are at increased risk for
cancer of the breast and ovary. These risks may vary. Women with an
altered BRCA1 gene have a 50 to 85 percent risk of developing breast
cancer by age 70. Risk for cancer of the ovary is 40 to 60 percent by
age 85.
A woman with cancer in one breast has a higher risk of developing
cancer in the other breast. Twenty-five to 30 percent of those with a
BRCA1 change may get a second breast cancer within ten years after
their first incidence of breast cancer.
Men and women with a BRCA1 change have an increased risk for certain
other cancers. Those with a BRCA1 mutation may get one or more
cancers, or none at all.
What are the risks associated with a mutation in the BRCA2 gene?
Both men and women with a change in the BRCA2 gene are at increased
risk for breast cancer. In women, the risks associated with a BRCA2
mutation appear to be about the same as those for BRCA1 mutations.
The risk for cancer of the ovary is also increased — between 16 and
27 percent by late age.
A male with a BRCA2 change has an increased risk for breast cancer.
Men with BRCA2 hanges also have a higher risk of prostate cancer. The
risk for pancreas cancer and melanoma also are increased in
individuals with BRCA2 changes.
