{"id":12291,"date":"2023-10-13T15:11:14","date_gmt":"2023-10-13T13:11:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adntro.com\/?p=12291"},"modified":"2025-07-28T08:25:25","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T06:25:25","slug":"cancer-mama-genetica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adntro.com\/en\/blog\/salud\/cancer-mammary-genetics\/","title":{"rendered":"Breast cancer and genetics"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is breast cancer?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Breast cancer is a complex disease<\/b> that affects millions of women worldwide. It is estimated that about 1 in 8 women<\/b> develop breast cancer during their lifetime. It is also present in men, but the prevalence of this pathology is much lower (1 in 1,000 men).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a disease in which cells found in the mammary gland and breast tissues begin to grow abnormally and uncontrollably<\/b>, forming a tumor. If not detected and treated in time, these cancerous cells can invade the surrounding tissues and even spread to other parts of the body. This process is known as metastasis.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Breast<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

That is why knowing the risk factors<\/b>, such as family history, lifestyle, age<\/b> (the older you get, the greater your exposure to environmental factors) and your genetic<\/b> predisposition, is crucial. Recent advances in genetics have opened new avenues to understand and prevent this disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we explore a groundbreaking study on the genetic risk of breast cancer and how you can access your genetic risk through ADNTRO<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What types of breast cancer are?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are two very distinct types of breast cancer: hereditary breast cancer and sporadic breast cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hereditary breast cancer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As its name suggests, hereditary breast cancer is one that is present over several generations in the same family. These \"familial\" mutations increase the risk of developing breast cancer over a person's lifetime. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent years, multiple genes related to breast cancer have been described. The BRCA1<\/em> and BRCA2<\/em> genes are, to date, the most important ones associated particularly with hereditary breast cancer. To get an idea of how important they are in this type of cancer, studies of the BRCA2<\/em> gene have shown that it is responsible for 45% of hereditary breast cancers in women.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Hereditary<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

However, hereditary breast cancers account for only 10% of all breast cancers<\/b>. To assess the risk of developing this type of cancer, it is advisable to analyze the entire BRCA1<\/em> and BRCA2<\/em> gene using a technique known as whole exome sequencing<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sporadic breast cancer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It is the most common type<\/b> of breast cancer and is the result of genetic mutations favored mainly by our lifestyle<\/b>. Breast cells become cancerous as a result of DNA mutations. These mutations are caused by the action of external agents or by the aging of the cells themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, genetic markers have been detected that predispose to non-hereditary breast cancer<\/b>. This makes it of particular interest to assess, on an individual level, whether a woman has a higher than average risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we compare the variants of hereditary cancer with those of sporadic cancer, the latter are more frequent in the population. Each of them slightly increases the total risk of the person. This genetic risk can be assessed with a genotyping<\/a> test where these genetic variants located at specific points in the genome are analyzed.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Sporadic<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

How much does genetics influence sporadic breast cancer?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Genetic studies estimate that about 30% of the variability<\/b> in susceptibility to breast cancer in a population is due to genetic factors<\/b> (heritability<\/a>), while the remaining 70%<\/b> is due to environmental and lifestyle factors<\/b>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the factors<\/strong> non-genetic<\/strong> It is worth mentioning:<\/p>\n\n\n\n