Dec 25, 2007 5:05 pm US/Mountain
Study: Ethnicity Factors Into Breast Cancer Risk
Researchers Estimate Hispanic Women Most Likely To Have Gene Mutation
(CBS)
Scientist have known that genetics plays a role in the risk for breast cancer, but now a new study shows that race is also a factor.
For Elaine Baca, breast cancer has always been a part of her life.
"I do have a family history of breast cancer. My mother was diagnosed at age 36. She was a survivor for about 30 years," says Baca.
But now it seems that Baca's Hispanic heritage may play a role in those genetics. According to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, her risk of having a cancer-causing mutation in the BRCA1 gene is higher than women of some other ethnicities.
"We explored this topic because women who have a harmful mutation in BRCA1 have a high risk of developing breast cancer or ovarian cancer," says Esther John, Ph.D at the Northern California Cancer Center.
Researchers estimated that among breast cancer patients, Hispanic women were most likely to have the gene mutation, followed by white women, African-American women, and then Asian-American women.
Ashkenazi Jewish women were more likely than anyone to have the gene, but that is not a new finding.
"We also found that BRCA1 mutations were most common in young breast cancer patients, patients that were diagnosed before the age of 35, and this was true in all racial-ethnic groups," says John.
The new information may help doctors decide who should get genetic screening, but basic screening is still essential for every woman.
"Since age 25 I've been getting mammograms regularly once a year. I do self-exams once a month and I get my checkups on a yearly basis, also," says Baca.
She hopes this new study won't frighten other Hispanic women, but she does hope it will help them think more about cancer detection.
CBS station WCBS-TV in New York's Dr. Holly Phillips says regardless of race, if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer - especially among young women - you should talk to your doctor about genetic testing.
"When it comes to beating this disease, the more information you can arm yourself with, the better," she says.
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