Breast Cancer in Males
1. From Dr. Mary Daly of Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philipelphia
2. The genes in question are BRCA-1 and BRCA-2.
3. About 2,030 cases of male breast cancer are predicted to occur this year, accounting for 1% of all breast cancer cases. About 450 cases will be fatal.
A. Male relatives of female breast cancer patients often do not they may carry the genes that promote breast cancer as well as prostate, pancreatic, and skin cancer.
B. "Everyone thinks of breast and ovarian cancer and just assumes it's all women. They don't even realize these genes can be inherited from the father's side of the family."
C. As a result of a small study, done by Dr. Daly, she is now trying to convince more fathers, sons, and brothers of breast cancer patients with these genes to be tested. "Very few of them want to."
D. The presence of BRCA-1 And BRCA-2 genes double a man's normal risk of breast cancer, triple the risk of pancreatic cancer, and make breast cancer seven times more likely to develop.