Mutations linked to breast cancer in African-American women

A comprehensive genetic study has found that one in five black women already diagnosed with breast cancer and referred for genetic counselling had at least one of 18 genetic mutations known to increase the risk of the disease. The findings, presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago, suggest that inherited mutations may be more common than expected in blacks with breast cancer, pointing to the need for broader genetic counselling and screening among these women and their family members. Read more here.