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How common is Hereditary Breast-Ovarian Cancer?

April 26, 2017cancer common hereditary

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How common is Hereditary Breast-Ovarian Cancer?

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Only 5-10% of all breast and ovarian cancer cases are hereditary, that is, the result of a mutation in a single gene that is being passed down through a family. Most cases of breast and ovarian cancer (90-95%) are due to a combination of a person’s genetic make-up and environmental factors. Of the 5-10% of breast and ovarian cancer cases that are thought to be inherited, the majority (up to 80%) are caused by mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. This means that not all individuals who have a strong family history of breast-ovarian cancer are found to have mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2. As a result, researchers believe that there may be additional cancer genes that account for a small percentage of families with hereditary breast-ovarian cancer. These genes have yet to be identified.