Wolper Jewish Hospital Logo
Community
Genetics Program

BRCA JeneScreen Genetic Screening Program

What does it mean for my children if I carry a BRCA gene fault ?

We all carry 2 copies of every gene, including BRCA1 and BRCA2,  one inherited from our mother and one from our father.

We pass a single copy of every gene on to our children- they get the other copy from our partner.

Individuals with a faulty copy of BRCA1 or BRCA2 also carry a normal copy of the gene, so there is a an equal chance they will pass on the faulty copy and an equal chance they will pass on the normal copy to any child they have. This means every child of a man or woman who carries a BRCA gene fault has a 50:50 (1 in 2) chance of inheriting it.

Any pregnancy with a baby that has inherited both faulty copies of either the BRCA1 gene or the BRCA2 gene from both parents is unlikely to survive. A child however may inherit a single faulty copy of  BRCA1 and a single faulty copy of BRCA2. The cancer risks when they grow up seem to be the same as if only one faulty  BRCA gene is inherited.

More information about how gene faults are passed on 
© Copyright 2024 Community Genetics Program