What are my chances for developing cancer with a BRCA gene mutation?
According to estimates, about 36% – 85% of women with a BRCA gene mutation will develop breast cancer. Women with working copies of BRCA genes are about 13% likely to develop breast cancer over their lifetime. In other words, women with an altered BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene are 3 to 7 times more likely to develop breast cancer than women without a BRCA mutation. Having a BRCA mutation increases your lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer from an estimated 2% (general population) to between 16% – 60%. Note that these figures are estimated ranges that may change with more research. A woman’s lifetime chance of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer is greatly increased if she tests positive for a BRCA mutation. If you have a BRCA mutation, you also have an increased risk of developing these cancers at a young age (before menopause), and may have an increased chance of developing colon cancer. Men with a BRCA gene mutation have an increased risk of developing breast cancer, prostate cancer