Risk Of Inheriting Breast, Ovarian Cancer-Associated Mutations From Fathers Under-Recognized.

MedPage Today (10/24, Walsh) reported, "The fact that men carry the genetic BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations associated with high risks of breast and ovarian cancers and can transmit the mutations to their children is under-recognized," according to a Canadian paper in The Lancet Oncology. "Many women are unaware of the importance of a history of these cancers in their father's side of the family, and are therefore unlikely to tell their primary care providers about it — which means they may not be given referrals for genetic testing and preventive treatments." In fact, "patients were five times more likely to have been referred to a familial breast and ovarian cancer clinic if family history of the disease was on their mother's side." BBC News (10/25) also covers the study.