Glossary

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BRCA: The acronym stands for BReast CAncer gene, although the name is a bit misleading, because mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes also dramatically increase a woman's risk of ovarian cancer. The genes, when functioning normally, inhibit cancer, because they are tumor suppressor genes. If mutated, they can lose that protective ability. About 10 percent of breast cancers are caused by an inherited gene, and researchers estimate that mutations in these genes cause about half of those.