Study Discovers 72 Genetic Mutations Linked to Hereditary Breast Cancer

While the newly identified genetic mutations increase the risk of breast cancer to some extent, they are quite common and their effects on breast cancer risk may be heightened if a woman has more than one mutation. What’s more, in combination with lifestyle factors, such as being overweight and smoking, the effects may also be heightened. “Using data from genomic studies, combined with information on other known risk factors, will allow better breast cancer risk assessment, therefore helping to identify a small but meaningful proportion of women at high risk of breast cancer. These women may benefit from more intensive screening, starting at a younger age, or using more sensitive screening techniques, allowing early detection and prevention of the disease. At the same time, this personalized information will also be useful to adapt screening modalities for women at substantially lower risk,” said Jacques Simard, one of the authors involved in the study.