Effects of BRCA gene mutation on female reproductive potential: a systematic review

BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes belong to the family of ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated-mediated DNA repair genes that play a critical role in the DNA double-strand break repair. BRCA1 was first identified as a specific gene for early-onset breast cancer and ovarian cancer susceptibility in 1994 [1,2]. Nevertheless, the mutation of BRCA1 may not fully explain the majority of the two kinds of cancers, as only a small percentage of the cancers can detect the mutations of this gene [1,2]. At nearly the same time, the germline mutation of BRCA2 gene was identified in high-risk breast cancer families [3,4], indicating that the germline mutation of BRCA2 gene was also a key reason involved in the development of breast cancer.
Source: Maturitas - Category: Primary Care Authors: Source Type: research