Inherited Risk for Breast Cancer ('BRCA Gene-Gene Panel')
Genes in estrogen metabolism identify a level of risk from very low to high
Inherited risk for Breast Cancer
Your level of risk is reported -- very low, low, moderate, or high, based on genes in estrogen metabolism. BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations are not tested. It was developed to assess predisposition for white women of European ancestry.
This is not a diagnostic test and does not indicate the presence or absence of breast cancer. A risk score is not an absolute indicator that a person will or will not develop BRCA.
Our overall assessment of inherited predisposition to breast cancer evaluates a number of genes that are involved in estrogen metabolism. Table 1 lists the names of the six investigated genes. They are listed in order of importance for breast cancer risk from top (most important) to bottom (least important). Exact locations in these genes where DNA building blocks are known to differ from person to person are evaluated. The possible outcomes are listed. As an example, the right-hand column labeled with an asterisk indicates the pair of building blocks at each location inherited from 'your' parents. Three locations determine differences in amino acid building blocks of proteins.
Table 1. The investigated genes, locations, possible outcomes, and an example of what might be your personal genotypes
While there is evidence that the building blocks found at each location influence the risk of breast cancer, none of the locations demonstrates large differences in risk from person to person. We consider all the locations together to define a wide range of risk, about 25-fold.
Breast Cancer Links
Corder EH, Hefler LA. Multilocus genotypes spanning estrogen metabolism associated with breast cancer and fibroadenoma. Rejuvenation Res. 2006 Spring;9(1):56-60. A copy can be requested on the 'Contact Us' page.