mammography concerns, BRCA and primary prevention in high risk
1. The US preventive service taskforce (USPSTF) just released their guidelines for BRCA testing (see http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf12/brcatest/brcatestfinalrs.htm ). in brief, they suggest: --estimated prevalence of BRCA1 or 2 is 0.2% to 0.3% (ie, 1 in 300-500 women) in the general population of women , 6.0% in women with cancer onset before age 40 years , and 2.1% in the general population of Ashkenazi Jewish women . In a meta-analysis of studies in which recruitment was based on family history of breast or ovarian cancer, BRCA1 mutation prevalence was 13.6%, BRCA2 mutation prevalence was 7.9%, and prevalence of either mutation was 19.8% . --A woman's risk for breast cancer increases to 45% to 65% by age 70 years if there are clinically significant mutations in either BRCA gene . Mutations in the BRCA1 gene increase ovarian cancer risk to 39% by age 70 years, and BRCA2 mutations increase ovarian can...