Mastectomy is surgery to remove the breast (or as much of the breast tissue as possible).
A new study led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer, University of California, Irvine and Baylor College of Medicine has created the world's largest and most comprehensive map of normal breast tissue, providing an unprecedented understanding of mammary biology that may help identify therapeutic targets for diseases such as breast cancer.
Although genetic mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 are associated with a younger onset of breast and ovarian cancer, women with these genetic mutations continue to face a high risk of cancer incidence after age 50, even if they have not been previously diagnosed with cancer.
Researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine have discovered that people who inherit a mutant copy of the BRCA1 gene may develop mutations and cancer due to error-prone DNA replication and repair.
Researchers at Mayo Clinic have combined results from a functional test measuring the effect of inherited variants in the BRCA2 breast and ovarian cancer gene with clinical information from women who received genetic testing to determine the clinical importance of many BRCA2 variants of uncertain significance (VUS).
Life can change dramatically when someone learns they are genetically predisposed to a disease, such as a condition called familial hypercholesterolemia, where a mutated gene can lead to elevated cholesterol and increased risk for a premature heart attack.