Breast Cancer Gene Reviewed
PRESS CONFERENCE - 0930 H Thursday 26 September at Cancer Research UK, 44 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PX, UK; Further information from Cancer Research UK Press Office (see below). A review article in this week's issue of THE LANCET assesses the impact of BRCA1 gene mutations-known to be strongly associated with an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer-on the management of patients. The BRCA1 gene was identified in 1990 and cloned in 1994. Around 1 in 500 to 1 in 800 women have a BRCA1 gene mutation; women with familial breast or ovarian cancer have a germline mutation of the gene, which gives them a lifetime risk of breast cancer of around 50-85%, and ovarian cancer of 15-60%.