question about BRCA1 and BRCA2

Yes. prostate cancer can be related to bc, and be part of the same BRCA gene (I think it is BRCA2, but am not remembering for sure).  Colon cancer and pancreatic cancer are also part of that same mix - as well as ovarian, and to a lesser extent, uterine.

That said, prostate cancer is VERY common (second most frequent cancer in men, after lung cancer), as is breast cancer (which is either the first or second most common cancer in women), so it would be very possible for your friend's father and grandmother both to have had cancer and have it be unrelated to genes.  How old were the people with cancer at diagnosis?  The younger they were, the more likely it is to be genetic.  (Though most cancers at any age still don't show up on a known BRCA gene.)

If you friend's father is tested and tests positive, then yes, your friend could be tested, too, and much less expensively.  The reason for this is that the lab needs to check every possible permutation of the BRCA gene in her father.  Once they've found the specific genetic "misprint," they can then check for just that genetic mutation in other family members.

But the other thing to know is having a negative BRCA test does NOT mean that there is no genetic mutation that puts one at higher risk of cancer.  There may be a gene that hasn't been identified yet.  In my case, there is prostate, ovarian, colon, uterine and breast cancer in my family (4 of mom's 5 siblings died of cancer - plus 1/2 of my grandmother's siblings).  Yet I tested negative for any known variation of the BRCA gene.  But is there genetic cancer in my family?  Seems pretty clear that there is.  What no one knows is if the cancer that showed up in my breast is related, or if I have whatever genetic mutation hit my mom's side of the family.

So, if your friend's father tests postive but then your friend tests negative, terrific!  It means she just has the same risk of developing cancer as the "average" person.  But if your friend's father tests negative, it's hard to know what that means for her risk.  Frustrating, I know!

I hope that was helpful...

Linda

Yes, BRCA 2 is associated with prostate cancer. My dad, his 2 brothers, their dad all had prostate - not really really young but one was in his late 50s I believe. His sister had uterine cancer. His other sisters have had nothing. I had BC at age 35 but didn't discover the link between prostate and BRCA2 until recently - now I'm 38. Got tested, am positive, had the other breast off and will have a hysterectomy. I am glad that I know.

Too late for the mother but the father should be tested first for BRCA1 and BRCA2.

Thes gens's mutation are responsible for breast cancer, colon, lung and prostate.