Clinics & Centres

Familial Breast and Ovarian Cancer Clinic

Frequently Asked Questions

What is hereditary cancer?

Hereditary cancer means that a tendency to getting cancer “runs” in the family and may be passed from generation to generation

What cancers are seen in these families?

These are the most common cancers but sometimes other cancers are seen such as pancreatic, melanoma, colon and male breast cancer.

How common are these cancers in the general population?

1 in 9 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime.
1 in 70 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer during her lifetime.
1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime.
1 in 1000 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer during his lifetime.

How often are these cancers hereditary?

5 to 10% of all breast and ovarian cancers are hereditary; the remaining 90 to 95% are not.

How can an increased risk for breast and ovarian cancer be inherited?

Genes are the instructions that tell our bodies how to grow and develop
We have two copies of every gene.
We get one copy of every gene from our mother and one from our father.
BRCA1 and BRCA2 are two different genes that help protect us from getting cancer.
If you have a change (mutation) in one copy of your BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, your chances of getting some but not all types of cancer will be increased
Both men and women can have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation.
If you have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation there is a 50% chance you could pass this mutation on to each of your children.

What does genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations involve?

What are some benefits and risks of genetic testing ?