A new study published in Clinical Cancer Research (Volume 14, page 2953) suggests that the BRCA-2 gene mutation increases a man’s prostate cancer risk.
Studies of identical and fraternal twins have found that prostate cancer has a stronger hereditary component than many other cancers, including breast and colon cancer. A number of genetic mutations are linked to prostate cancer. Some analyses suggest that mutations in HPC1 increase the risk of prostate cancer, but other studies have failed to find an association.
Now a study published in Clinical Cancer Research (Volume 14, page 2953) suggests that the BRCA-2 gene mutation increases a man’s prostate cancer risk.
Women who have mutations in the breast cancer predisposition genes BRCA-1 or BRCA-2 are known to be at a very high risk for breast and ovarian cancers. The fact that these gene mutations can also increase a man's risk of prostate cancer is less well known.
Researchers looked at families who had the BRCA mutations and who had at least one member who had developed prostate cancer. Men from families who carried the BRCA-2 gene mutation were 3.5 times more likely to develop prostate cancer than were men without the abnormality. Moreover, these men were at a higher risk for having an aggressive form of prostate cancer. In this study, the BRCA-1 mutation was not found to increase prostate cancer risk, but other investigators have reported such a link.
If you have a personal or family history of either mutation, you may have a higher-than-average risk of developing prostate cancer. Talk to your doctor about how often you should have your PSA level tested. Although no specific screening guidelines for men from hereditary breast-ovarian-cancer families have been promulgated, you may need to be seen at an earlier age or more frequently than men at average risk.
