Genes put 1 in 5 at risk of breast cancer, researchers say

LONDON: One in five women are at a significantly higher risk of breast cancer because of faulty genes, research has revealed.

Most women know that if their mother, daughter or sister has the disease, then their chances of a diagnosis are increased.

But one of the largest genetic investigations ever done for breast cancer has found 179 separate mutations which can be passed on through families. For one in five women, the errors in their genes mean they have almost a third higher chance of getting breast cancer, according to the Cambridge-led research.

For one in 10, the increased risk is as much as 70%. An unlucky 1% have three times the risk of the other 99%.

Scientists believe the findings could be used to save lives, as a simple blood test could identify women at a greater risk because of their genes.

They could then be screened earlier or more regularly. (Currently, women aged 50-70 are invited for screening every three years on the NHS.)

The landmark research, across two studies, was conducted by an international team of hundreds of scientists led by Cambridge University, and analysed the DNA from 275 000 women.

The teams found almost double the number of genetic variants previously known to cause breast cancer.

Baroness Delyth Morgan, of charity Breast Cancer Now, said: “This is an exciting step forward. These gene changes have the potential to be incorporated into existing models to more accurately predict an individual’s risk, and to improve both prevention and early detection of the disease.”

The scientists looked at 11.8 million genetic “mistakes” in women’s DNA which raise risk. – Daily Mail