BRCA gene and age of diagnosis

I too have the BRCA gene mutation! My older sister had breast cancer 8 years ago, she was 45 then. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in January of this year, DCIS in one breast. I asked to be tested for the BRCA because an uncle had breast cancer & he tested positive. Since then some cousins & 5 siblings out of 9 have been tested & all have tested positive. We inherited this gene from our dad who passed away from prostate cancer in 2000. In March I had a bilateral mastectomy & my ovaries & fallopian tubes removed. My cancer was 100% driven by estrogen as was the rest of my family. I have been flung into menopause & find it hard to sleep with night sweats & having to sleep on my back because of the tissue expanders. The best advice is to be VERY proactive about your health - screening & the CA125 (for ovarian cancer) & CA27.29 for breast cancer. My female siblings & cousins get a pelvic ultrasound too.

tl10: I am keeping my fingers crossed for you! I know how daunting playing the waiting game can be...

My sister was dx at 44 and I was dx 8 months after her at 39 years old.  We both have the BRCA1 gene mutation.  We don't know what side of the family it came from because our dad passed away and our mom doesn't want to take it.  Both sides have breast cancer though.

I was diagnosed with BC when I was 29. This was before they even knew there was a BRCA gene. I am BRCA 2+, so is my sister. We have both had BC. The gene comes from my father's sie of the family. ALL of the males on that side of the family have had prostate cancer for at least2 generations. My father's mother died of breast cancer but did not develop it early.

Very weird some BRCA 2 families have early cancers and other families tend towads the middle years. How old was your male relatives that had prostate? My dad was 60 (although he had it awhile). My aunts that had breast and ovarian were also in their 50s. My grandmo with colon was 65 or so. My uncle with prostate was diagnosed in his 40s but he actually lived the longest of all the relatives with cancer.

This is what the NCI says:

Cancer Risk in Individuals Who Test Negative for a Known Familial BRCA1/2 Mutation

There is conflicting evidence as to the residual familial risk among women who test negative for the BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation segregating in the family. Based on prospective evaluation of 353 women who tested negative for the BRCA1 mutation segregating in the family, five incident breast cancers occurred during more than 6,000 person-years of observation, for a lifetime risk of 6.8%.[122] A report that the risk may be as high as fivefold in women who tested negative for the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation in the family [125] was followed by numerous letters to the editor suggesting that ascertainment biases account for much of this observed excess risk.[126-131] Three additional analyses have suggested an approximate 1.5-fold to 2-fold excess risk.[130,132,133] Several studies have involved retrospective analyses; all studies have been based on small observed numbers of cases and have been of uncertain statistical and clinical significance. No cases of ovarian cancer have been reported in these studies.[130]Additional prospective analyses will be required to determine whether women from BRCA1/BRCA2 families who test negative for the identified mutation are at the general-population risk for breast cancer and require differential clinical management.[130] http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/genetics/breast-and-ovarian/HealthProfessional/page3

 Note that when they say a 'up to 2 fold risk', they are NOT NOT NOT talking about 2 x the risk of the average woman in the US (which is about 12%, and multiply that my 2 = about 24% excess risk), but 2 times the risk of a woman WITHOUT any particular risk factors.  I have  seen different numbers for this figure, but have seen quotes of about 3-5% excess risk.  So 2 x 3-5= about 6-10% excess  risk.  We also don't know if risk factors like this are additive.  So if you have other risk factors, we don't know if you should add 6-10% to this figure, or whether its less.

Our capability of predicting breast cancer is not great.  There is a lot we don't know.

Yup, I'm BRCA2. My Dad is one of 10 - he died of prostate cancer at age 73, but had it many years. 2 of his brothers died of colon cancer (there seems to be LOTS of BRCA deaths w/colon cancer...), his sister had breast cancer in her 30's but died of brain cancer in her 60's & his youngest brother had breast cancer 2 years ago in his 60's & tested positive for BRCA2. Both my Dad's parents died of cancer, my grandfather died of lung cancer & my grandmother died of throat cancer. We think we got the gene from our grandmother as BRCA2's have a increased risk of throat cancer. Some of my cousins don't want to be tested (silly, I know!) but 4 female cousins (sisters) have been tested & 3 are positive  & one is negative. It seems to be a very strong gene mutation in my family but that one negative gives me hope for my children...

Sorry for not being on here for a while. I've been on the Nipple & Skin Sparing Masectomy Forum & the private photo forum.

Hugs to you all!

My family sounds like IrishLass's.  My mother had bc at age 43 (now 74) and 4 of her sisters.  Mother only found out last yr she is BRCA2+.  3 sisters are positive, 2 had bc and 1 does not.   Another one of her sisters had bc but tested neg for BRCA2.  Genetic counselor explained to me that the one that has bc but is neg for the gene is group as general population (12%).  She was 63 when dx.  The others were dx at 47 and 49 with recurrence at 53 and 51. My mom's never reoccurred.   We believe that BRCA2 is from my mom's side, from her father's side.  My father's side has lung, brain and prostate cancer.  I am with IrishLass about the one negative.  There is hope.

I just tested negative for BRCA 1 and 2.  Before I could heave a sigh of relief, the cancer geneticist called to see if I can get slides of my father's (colon) tumor tissue so it can be tested for Lynch Syndrome.   He died in 1992 so I don't know how far I'll get, but if it helps my family then I'll do it.     My father was first diagnosed with colon cancer at age 40, very young and an indicator of genetic influence. I was diagnosed with first (hopefully only)  bc at age 47, so that is early also.         My father had the non-polyp cancer which is significant for Lynch.  So there is an association between Lynch (colon for any family members) and breast/ovarian/uterine cancer for the females.        I'll follow up on what the geneticist suggested, but so many cancers are due to environmental factors that I'm not losing sleep over this.      

I was tested negative for BRCA 1 or 2 years ago. However, after speaking with a geneticist at the children's hospital, (at a personal function) once he knew my Dad had BC also, he said there was definitely a gene there somewhere. The BRCA genes are just the ones they've found so far. They will find more in the future.

Congra'ts JP on finishing your current tx. yay! Stay cozy in that stable!