Gene test ? for family member with breast cancer

( those found before age 45 try to help family member to have genetic test for mutation..BRCA1 and 2)
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Mutations in BRCA2 were slightly more common in black women (2.6 percent) than in white women (2.1 percent).

This is one of the first studies to look at the prevalence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in black women. "The lack of research has led to the impression that it's more of a problem for Caucasian women," said lead investigator Kathleen E. Malone, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, in Seattle. "Our study shows that the overall frequency of mutations is generally similar across these two races, and so, at the very least, clinicians and women who are African-American should be thinking about this to the same extent as Caucasian women."

The researchers also looked at factors which predicted whether a woman carried one of the mutations. The strongest predictors of carrying a BRCA1 mutation were being diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 45 or having a relative diagnosed before the age of 45, or ovarian cancer in a relative as well as having Jewish ancestry.

Early age at diagnosis in the patient or in relatives was a predictor of BRCA2 mutation status.

This information is critical for identifying which women might benefit from genetic testing.