BRCA2 Gene News and Research

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BRCA2 is a gene on chromosome 13 that normally helps to suppress cell growth. A person who inherits certain mutations (changes) in a BRCA2 gene has a higher risk of getting breast, ovarian, prostate, and other types of cancer.

Beyond BRCA: Epigenetic Silencing in Breast Cancer

An interview with Professor William Newman, discussing his recent discovery in the field of breast cancer research, and the options that this will provide for women who have a family history of breast cancer but test negative for BRCA1/2 mutations.

8 Oct 2018

Pancreatic cancer patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations fare better on platinum-based chemotherapy

A small study of adults with the most common form of pancreatic cancer adds to evidence that patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations long linked to a high risk of breast cancer have poorer overall survival rates than those without the mutations.

17 May 2018

Disruption of the body's circadian rhythm linked to increased risk of breast cancer

For years, doctors have associated the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations with an increased risk of breast cancer.

9 May 2018

New test predicts which BRCA2 gene mutations lead to breast, ovarian cancers

A new test developed by researchers at Mayo Clinic shows which mutations in the BRCA2 gene make women susceptible to developing breast or ovarian cancers. The research behind the test was published today in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

25 Jan 2018

Research reveals cost-effectiveness of whole-population screening for breast, ovarian cancer gene mutations

Screening the entire population for breast and ovarian cancer gene mutations, as opposed to just those at high-risk of carrying this mutation, is cost effective and could prevent more ovarian and breast cancers than the current clinical approach, according to research published today in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

18 Jan 2018

Study finds combination therapy as effective strategy to treat ovarian cancers

Researchers at The Wistar Institute have found that combining PARP inhibitors, recently approved for the treatment of BRCA-mutant ovarian cancer, with another small molecule inhibitor was effective to treat ovarian cancers without BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations.

19 Dec 2017

Yale scientists unravel molecular mechanism of breast cancer risk gene

More than 20 years after scientists revealed that mutations in the BRCA1 gene predispose women to breast cancer, Yale scientists have pinpointed the molecular mechanism that allows those mutations to wreak their havoc.

9 Oct 2017

Scientists crack genetic code to identify men at risk for prostate cancer that spreads after treatment

Canadian prostate cancer researchers have discovered the genetic fingerprint that explains why up to 30 per cent of men with potentially curable localized prostate cancer develop aggressive disease that spreads following radiotherapy or surgery.

10 Jan 2017

Landmark study unravels secrets of aggressive prostate cancer

A landmark study, led by Monash University's Biomedicine Discovery Institute with the involvement of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, has revealed the reason why men with a family history of prostate cancer who also carry the BRCA2 gene fault have a more aggressive form of prostate cancer.

9 Jan 2017

Study reveals unexpected process for acquiring chemoresistance in breast cancers

A laboratory study has revealed an entirely unexpected process for acquiring drug resistance that bypasses the need to re-establish DNA damage repair in breast cancers that have mutant BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes.

25 Jul 2016

New streamlined approach to genetic testing benefits women with ovarian cancer

A new streamlined approach to genetic testing for women with ovarian cancer provides testing rapidly and affordably, allowing many more patients to benefit from personalised cancer management and their relatives to benefit from cancer prevention strategies.

13 Jul 2016

Early epigenetic changes could open way for new preventative strategies for ovarian cancer

Research revealing early changes at epigenetic level points to possible new prevention strategies for ovarian cancer. The discovery of early changes in the cells of the Fallopian tubes of women carrying the BRCA genetic mutation could open the way for new preventative strategies for ovarian cancer, reducing the need for invasive surgery, according to research published today in science journal Nature Communications.

24 May 2016

New gene testing method can identify mutations, prioritize variants in breast and ovarian cancer genes

A research team led by an award-winning genomicist at Western University has developed a new method for identifying mutations and prioritizing variants in breast and ovarian cancer genes, which will not only reduce the number of possible variants for doctors to investigate, but also increase the number of patients that are properly diagnosed.

29 Apr 2016

UW researchers develop new model to more accurately predict harmful genetic mutations

Between any two people, there are likely to be at least 10 million differences in the genetic sequence that makes up their DNA.

26 Oct 2015

Discovery opens door to more targeted, effective treatments for cancer

In a discovery that could lead to more targeted and effective treatments for certain lung and prostate cancers, researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have identified two new cancer-causing gene mutations - mutations that may be particularly susceptible to cancer-fighting drugs already approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration. One of the gene mutations also may play a key role in early menopause.

24 Sep 2015

Research: Cancer preventative surgery may not be necessary in the future

Surgery to remove the breasts of women at increased risk of developing breast cancer may not be necessary in the future, according to research published in EBioMedicine. Two new studies looking at the effect the menstrual cycle has on the development of breast and ovarian cancer reveal alternative prevention strategies that may render surgery unnecessary.

11 Sep 2015

BRCA gene mutations and ovarian cancer: an interview with Dr Matulonis, Harvard Medical School

The BRCA gene encodes for the BRCA proteins, BRCA1 and BRCA2. These proteins are very important in repairing DNA, which they do by correcting double-stranded breaks.

2 Aug 2015

Clinical genomic sequencing could impact treatment decisions in advanced prostate cancer patients

An international collaboration of researchers are advancing precision medicine to men with advanced prostate cancer.

22 May 2015

Novel genetic datashare initiative launched to improve detection of inherited breast and ovarian cancers

Quest Diagnostics, the world’s leading provider of diagnostic information services, and Inserm, the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research institution, today launched BRCA Share, a novel datashare initiative they co-founded to provide scientists and laboratory organizations around the world with open access to BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic data.

From Quest Diagnostics 22 Apr 2015

PARP inhibitors can be effective in broader group of patients

A pioneering class of drugs that target cancers with mutations in the BRCA breast cancer genes could also work against tumours with another type of genetic fault, a new study suggests.

20 Mar 2015