Hereditary breast cancer: Strategies for early detection and prevention

Hereditary breast cancer: Strategies for early detection and prevention

A central topic in the discussion about breast cancer is the hereditary variant of this disease, which affects 70,000 women in Germany every year. According to the Viennese gynecologist, the discovery of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations leads to a better understanding of genetic risk factors. These mutations significantly increase the risk of developing breast cancer. “We now know that around five to seven percent of breast cancer cases are caused by BRCA1 or BRCA2,” he explained. It is also worrying that a total of ten to 15 percent of breast cancers can run in families. Women should be particularly vigilant if there are cases of breast cancer in their family, which is why there are numerous breast genetic counseling centers available in Austria to investigate possible genetic risks, such as Small newspaper reported.

New strategies for early detection and prevention

Various strategies are recommended in order to recognize the diseases early and, if necessary, take decisive measures. This includes close monitoring, including annual MRI scans, or even preventative surgical procedures, as in the case of Hollywood star Angelina Jolie. The ABCSG study 50 is now researching a new type of therapy: women with a BRCA1 mutation will receive the drug denosumab for five years, the effect of which on breast cancer prevention will be observed. Studies show that women with BRCA mutations become ill on average 20 years younger than women without this genetic predisposition, which makes targeted and individually tailored therapy planning essential. According to current statistics, the survival rate with early diagnosis is significantly better, which underlines the importance of early detection, also considering the data from breastcancer.de, which also show the challenge that one in 100 cases of breast cancer also affects men.