What is the BRCA ‘Angelina Jolie’ gene, does it increase cancer risk and how does testing work in the UK?
IT'S been dubbed the 'Angelina Jolie gene', after the Hollywood actress had preventative surgery to reduce her risk of cancer.
But what is the BRCA, and how can Brits get tested? Here's what you need to know...
What is the BRCA gene?
All of us have BRCA genes, and we inherit two copies - one from each of our parents.
They are called tumour suppressors, because their job is to repair damaged cells and prevent them from growing and dividing too rapidly.
Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes can cause cells to become abnormal, and grow in an uncontrolled way.
Does the BRCA gene increase cancer risk?
Mutations in the BRCA genes could increase a woman's risk of both breast and ovarian cancer.
The BRCA1 mutation is the more serious of the two - increasing a woman's risk of ovarian cancer from two per cent to 40-60 per cent, according to .
While the risk of breast cancer rises from 11 per cent to 60-85 per cent.
Meanwhile the BRCA2 mutation raises a woman's risk of ovarian cancer to 10-20 per cent, and the risk of breast cancer to 45-60 per cent.
It can also increase the risk of prostrate, pancreatic and breast cancer in men.
Angelina Jolie, whose mum Marcheline Bertrand died from ovarian cancer at the age of 56, had a precautionary mastectomy and hysterectomy after testing positive for a BRCA gene mutation.
But having the mutation does not necessarily mean you will get cancer, and most cases of breast/ovarian cancer are not caused by the gene.
How common is the BRCA genetic mutation?
Here in Britain, only one in 400, or one in 800, people carry a BRCA1/2 gene mutation.
But the stats are higher in people with Ashkenazi Jewish, Polish, Pakistani, Dutch, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish heritages.
If you're a carrier, either male or female, there's a 50 per cent chance of you passing the mutation onto one of your kids.
How does BRCA testing work?
Doctors test for BRCA gene mutations using a blood test, which is then analysed in the genetics lab.
Tests should be offered to patients whose risk of being a carrier is 10 per cent or more, according to NHS England guidelines.
If you have a personal or family history or ovarian and/or breast cancer, you may be offered a test.
MOST READ IN HEALTH
But a leading cancer research institute is calling for ALL women over the age of 30 to be tested for the faulty gene.
Researchers at Barts Cancer Institute found that nationwide testing could prevent up to 64,000 cases of breast cancer and 17,000 cases of ovarian cancer in the UK alone.
Dr Ranjit Manchanda, a consultant gynaecological oncologist at Barts Cancer Institute, that this would save the NHS money in the long-run, as well as saving lives.