Female hormones key to breast and ovarian cancer in BRCA gene carriers

Researchers announced today in the journal Lancet Oncology that they are well on the way to discovering why women with the faulty genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 develop breast and ovarian cancer rather than other cancers. The study, carried out by researchers at the UCL Department of Women's Cancer, found that abnormal levels of female hormones in the bloodstream could be the answer. The findings have already led to more research into novel ways of preventing cancer in women at risk. According to the results of the study, women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations are exposed to different levels of the female hormones oestradiol and progesterone, which are already known to be risk-factors for breast and ovarian cancer. The findings indicate that BRCA carriers have abnormal hormone regulation, possibly due to a mechanism linked to the altered BRCA genes in carriers' ovaries. It is also possible that BRCA gene alterations change the sensitivity of tissues to hormones. More research into these mechanisms is needed.