Gene creates male breast risk
Tuesday July 6th, 2010
Men who carry a faulty breast cancer gene face a high risk of developing the disease in their old age, British researchers warned today.
By the age of 80, some eight per cent of men who carry the faulty BRCA2 gene will have developed the disease - usually linked to women, a study found.
Women who carry the gene are known to face a high risk of developing cancer young.
The new study examined the fate of some 321 families carrying the gene - and found 20 cases of men developing breast cancer before the age of 80.
The findings are reported in the Journal of Medical Genetics.
Researcher Professor Gareth Evans, of St Mary's Hospital, Manchester, UK, said: "These risks are sufficient to increase awareness of breast cancer among men in BRCA2 families and to stress the importance of early presentation with breast symptoms."
* A second study today warns that bowel cancer screening is much less effective in the summer than the winter.
Italian researchers say increased temperatures may affect the quality of samples - making summer testing 13 per cent less effective than in winter.
Dr Grazia Grazzini, of Florence, Italy, reports his findings in the journal Gut.
J Med Genet Online First 2010; doi 10.1136/jmg.2009.075176; Gut Online First 2010; doi 10.1136/gut.2009.200873
Tags: Cancer | Europe | Men’s Health | UK News
Printer friendly page