Does family history affect male breast cancer risk and is the incidence different for people of different races?
Breast cancer in both men and women does run in families. Two studies found that men who had a father, mother, sister or brother with breast cancer had twice the risk of getting breast cancer of men with no close relatives with the disease. The breast cancer susceptibility genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, have been examined in relation to families with both male and female breast cancer. BRCA2 mutations were found in 76% of men with breast cancer, who were from families with at least 4 cases of breast cancer. BRCA1 mutations were found in 16% of these families. The relative rates of breast cancer for men and women are similar for different parts of the world. Low rates for both sexes are seen in Asian countries and high rates for both sexes are seen in North America and Western Europe. African American men have higher rates of breast cancer than men of other races in the United States. What studies of male breast cancer are needed? Studies are needed to: • Verify existing and identify new occup
