BRCA JeneScreen Genetic Screening Program
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.