Why was the breast cancer predisposition gene test created?
• Why undergo genetic counseling and BRCA testing? • Who can be tested for BRCA mutations? • What can the test tell me? • What is my risk if I am a BRCA carrier? • What can I do if I am a BRCA mutation carrier? • The details of BRCA testing? What is a BRCA gene? A functioning BRCA gene prevents tumor growth by limiting cell division. Every cell in the body has two copies of each gene. Individuals predisposed to breast cancer are born with a mutation in one of their two copies of a BRCA gene. For breast cancer to occur, both BRCA copies must be mutated. Once a second BRCA mutation is acquired, the cell divides uncontrollably, resulting in a tumor. Individuals beginning life with one mutated BRCA gene are pre-disposed to breast cancer development because their cells have only one safety belt (1 normal BRCA gene) to prevent mass cell division. Non-breast cancer predisposed individuals have two safety belts (2 normal BRCA genes) at birth and, thus, have a lower risk of developing a breast
