What are the risks of cancer for women who carry a BRCA fault?

Approximately 70% of women who carry a BRCA1 or 2 gene fault will develop breast cancer by the time they are 70. These risks are no different to non-Jewish women who carry a BRCA gene fault. Higher risks have been reported amongst exceptional families collected for research.

The risk of breast cancer starts to rise significantly around the age of 30.

Carriers of BRCA1 faults have a 40% risk of developing ovarian cancer, and BRCA2 carriers  have a 20% risk. The risk of ovarian cancer rises significantly around the age of 40.

Pancreas cancer may also be more common in BRCA2 mutation carriers, particularly in smokers.