n. the first-two major cancer genes associated with a person's susceptibility to breast and ovarian cancer. In women with mutations in one of these two genes, the risk of breast cancer is at 56-85%. A mutation in the second gene also increases the rate of male breast cancer, although the figure runs low at 5%.
BRCA1 AND BRCA2: "Thanks to the initial discovery of BRCA1 and BRCA2, cancer screening and testing was made possible."
Cite this page: Nugent, Pam M.S., "BRCA1 AND BRCA2," in PsychologyDictionary.org, April 7, 2013, https://psychologydictionary.org/brca1-and-brca2/ (accessed July 22, 2017).
