Breast cancer is a disease in which certain cells in the breast or breasts become abnormal and start multiplying without control in order to form a tumor. It can be passed down from one generation to another, or it can be an alteration in the DNA of one breast cell for reasons that are unclear and unknown. According to the American Cancer Society (2014), “Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S, exceeded only by heart disease, accounting for nearly 1 of every 4 deaths.”
Genetics play a big role in determining whether a woman will develop breast cancer or not during her lifetime. A woman’s chances of developing breast cancer increases greatly if she inherits a dangerous mutation in the BRCA1 gene or the BRCA2 gene, which produce tumor suppressor proteins. These proteins help repair damaged DNA and, therefore, are very important in making sure that the cell’s genetic material is stable. When either of these genes is mutated, or altered, the protein product is not made or does not function correctly, causing DNA damage and failure to repair properly. As a result, cells are more likely to develop additional genetic alterations that can lead to cancer. “Between 45 and 90 out of every 100 women carrying BRCA genes will get breast cancer at some point in their lives. Which means that they have between 45%
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Women that carry the abnormal BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene tend to develop breast cancer on both breasts and at a very young age, rather than those who