Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women in the United States and is the second leading cause of death among women – ranking only below lung cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
Breast cancer is a cancer in which cells in one or both breasts grow out of control and, at times,spread to other parts of the body. The genes most commonly affected in breast cancer are hereditary and known as breast cancer 1 (BRCA 1) and breast cancer 2 (BRCA 2).
Normally, these genes protect a person from getting some types of cancer, but if the genes
mutate, then they stop working properly and make the person more likely to get breast cancer.
Everyone has two copies of the BRCA 1 and BRCA 1 genes – one each from their mom and
from their dad. While mutation in one gene is OK, cancer occurs when a second mutation
happens and the person no longer has a BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 gene that works properly.
Comments