A survey of women under 30 with breast cancer shows that family history of the disease is an important factor.

Researchers at St Mary's Hospital, Manchester, UK, studied a group of 99 women under 30 who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. They learned that around a third of them had a strong history of either breast or ovarian cancer or both. But this had not been recorded in hospital notes in around half of the cases.

Among those with a family history of cancer, 44 per cent were found to carry mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. Previously, these genes have been linked to a very much increased risk of getting breast or ovarian cancer. In the group with no family history, only six per cent had BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations. The researchers say it is important to get a family history from women with breast cancer and record this, so that those at genetic risk can be followed up and monitored for their benefit.

Source

The Lancet 29th March 2003