Are some people more likely than others to have a BRCA gene mutation?
Mutations of the BRCA genes are more common in some groups. One such group is Eastern European Jews, who are known as Ashkenazi Jews. In Ashkenazi Jews, three BRCA mutations in particular are more common, with one in 40 people carrying one of these common BRCA mutations. The most common BRCA changes among Ashkenazi Jews are called 185delAG, 6174delT, and 5382insC. Women with these mutations have a greater risk of developing cancer of the breast and ovary. About 25 percent of Jewish women who have developed breast cancer by age 41 have one of these BRCA mutations. People of Ashkenazi Jewish descent can have BRCA changes other than the common ones listed here, though such BRCA changes do not occur frequently. Certain BRCA changes are also more common in other groups. These groups include people from Iceland, Denmark, and French Canada. For patients who have no personal or family history of breast or ovarian cancer, the likelihood of carrying a BRCA mutation is very low.
