Inherited genetic predisposition in breast cancer : A population-based perspective

✍ Scribed by Timothy R. Rebbeck

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 154 KB
• Volume: 86
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0008-543X
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19991201)86:11+<2493::aid-cncr6>3.0.co;2-z

✦ Synopsis

Two classes of inherited susceptibility genes may be considered in the etiology of breast and other common cancers. First, genes have been identified that confer a high degree of breast cancer (BC) risk, usually associated with hereditary syndromes, but disease-associated germline variants in these genes are relatively rare in the general population. These include BRCA1, BRCA2, and TP53. The proportion of BC in the general population that can be explained by these genes is relatively small. Second, variant genotypes at other loci may confer a relatively smaller degree of cancer risk, but they are carried by a larger proportion of the general population. As a result, the proportion of BC that could be explained by these genes may be relatively large. To understand the genetic basis for BCs in the general population, both of these classes of genes may need to be considered. This paper presents an overview of genes thought to be involved in BC susceptibility. Genes that confer a high degree of risk are more likely to result in