The BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which affect the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, were also associated with prostate and pancreatic cancer, an international team of scientists with the participation of specialists from the University of Cambridge and Hong Kong found out. They outlined the details in an article in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes occur in one in 300-400 people. After establishing a link between these mutations and the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, scientists began to look for links with other types of cancer, but these were usually small studies that did not give sufficiently reliable results.

In the new work, the authors analyzed data from members of nearly 3,200 families with BRCA1 mutations and 2,200 families with BRCA2 mutations. A search for associations with 22 types of cancer showed that the risk of developing prostate cancer in men with BRCA2 mutations by the age of 80 is 27% - twice as high as in men without mutations.

Also, defects in BRCA1 and BRCA2 more than doubled the risk of developing pancreatic cancer. In addition, the researchers identified a possible connection with stomach cancer - there were few people with it in the sample, and this connection should be studied further to confirm.

“Larger patient datasets have allowed us to estimate with much greater accuracy the extent to which defective BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes increase the risk of developing several types of cancer,” the researchers note. “We have known for a long time that they are associated with breast and ovarian cancer, but there has been uncertainty about other types of cancer.”

The researchers hope that the new data will be useful in screenings aimed at identifying the risks of developing cancer. Although heredity plays a role, the risks can be largely corrected by lifestyle changes.

bbabo.Net