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Concerns about Breast Cancer Family History Questions on genetics, family history & breast cancer. |
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| Asked | Publicly Submitted Question | ||
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| 8/7/2011 | I was diagnosed with breast cancer at 60. I just found out my female cousin has breast cancer at 69. Our fathers are brothers. Is there any chance that the cancer could run in the fathers side of the family? Also when I had my last mammogram I was asked if there was any kind of jewish background. It was a specific type of jewish background. At the time I didn't know that my grandmother's mother was jewish. Is it true that a certain type of jewish background could be a factor in getting breast cancer? | ||
| Replied | JHU's Breast Center Reply | ||
| 8/8/2011 | family history is equal for both the mother's and the father's side of the family. we get an equal number of genes from both, so the answer is YES, it can run in the father's side of the family. When a man carries a breast cancer gene is just has a 6% risk of getting breast cancer himself; when a woman has that gene the risk is 40-80% though. That said, we see families who had a paternal grandmother diagnosed, then they (a woman) gets diagnosed. the patient's father does not yet is a carrier of the gene (with only a 6% risk of getting breast cancer himself). make sense?? Ashkenazi Jews have a higher incidence of carrying a breast cancer gene. | ||
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