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Not all families with multiple cases of breast and ovarian cancer have mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2. There is a slight increase in the risk of other cancers including pancreatic cancer and melanoma among people with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations. Men with these gene mutations also have an increased risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer. A “mutation,” or harmful genetic change, in either BRCA1 or BRCA2 gives a woman an increased lifetime risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers. There are 2 primary genes linked with most families who have HBOC: BRCA1 and BRCA2. This means that the cancer risk is passed from generation to generation in a family. There is a history of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, and/or pancreatic cancer on the same side of the family
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There are breast and/or ovarian cancers in multiple generations on the same side of the family, such as having both a grandmother and an aunt on the father’s side both diagnosed with these cancersĪ woman is diagnosed with a second breast cancer in the same or the other breast or has both breast and ovarian cancersĪ male relative is diagnosed with breast cancer The chance that a family has HBOC increases in any of these situations:ġ or more women are diagnosed at age 45 or youngerġ or more women are diagnosed with breast cancer before age 50 with an additional family history of cancer, such as prostate cancer, melanoma, and pancreatic cancer What is Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer?Ī diagnosis of Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome (HBOC) is considered when there are multiple cases of breast cancer and/or ovarian cancer on the same side of the family.