Prostate cancer raises breast cancer risk for daughters by 14%

Women whose father or brother has prostate cancer are more likely to develop breast cancer, research shows.

Scientists believe the illnesses are caused by the same faulty gene passed down through families.

An American study of 78,000 women found that those whose fathers, brothers or sons had prostate cancer were 14 per cent more at risk of breast cancer.

But women were 80 per cent more likely to get the illness if their father, brother or son had prostate cancer and their mother or sister had breast cancer.

The findings – published in the journal Cancer – are further evidence that some types of breast and prostate cancer are caused by the same inherited, faulty gene.

Although doctors have been aware the illnesses run in families for several years, this research shows the faulty gene may be more important than they previously thought.

Its lead author says doctors should routinely ask women whether prostate cancer runs in her family when establishing her risk of breast cancer.

Those with a first degree male relative – brother, father or son – were 14 per cent more likely to have developed the illness.

But women with a first degree male relative with prostate cancer and mother or sister with breast cancer were 78 per cent more at risk.

Dr Caitlin Barrand, Senior Policy Manager at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: 'Although we've known for some time that there are links between prostate cancer and breast cancer, this study suggests the link might be more important than we previously thought.

'If further research confirms the findings of this study this may further improve our ability to estimate an individual's risk of developing breast cancer, and offer personalised plans to help prevent the disease, or diagnose it early, when it can be more successfully treated.

'We'd recommend that women speak to their GP if they have any concerns about their family history of cancer, and advise that they should be prepared to talk about cancers on both the mother and father's side - the GP should ask about both.'

This is definitely interesting. Obviously they'll continue to study this link, but if this is true this is more ammunition for yourself because if you DO have a family member that has prostate, or even breast cancer, this is information you can give to your doctor to help prescreen you for these cancers, to hopefully give you a better fighting chance against them. I know Breast Cancer runs in my birth mother's side of the family, but only in aunt, great grandmother, and grandmother. I know I have extra dense tissue under my left armpit, but doctors have taken MRI and Ultrasound of the tissue and there's no abnormal mass, so for this may just be a normal thing. They do keep a very close watch on it though and do a Mammogram every 6 months to a year, depending on the looks of it at that time period. So I appreciate my doctors being thorough. So far, everything is honky dory, on that area though. This study though is very promising. I do know that as of now, there's no Prostate cancer in my family history.

The conclusion sounds rational. S&F

Interesting. No prostrate cancer or breast cancer history in my family, but I ended up getting breast cancer anyway a few years ago. This year they found some calcification and now, instead of my yearly mammogram, I too have to go in 6 months to make sure there are no changes and things are still ok. Makes me very nervous. But, people should get checked for these things so they can catch them early.

To some degree, but studies do not have complete data. You are a product of your environment. All the toxins in your environment. Learned habits, diet and medicine from family. Most children closely follow their parents path. Though they may be more predisposition to have it i do not know for sure. But there is outside influence. That should not be disregarded because of blanket statements. I think most of the time they blame things on heredity they have something to hide or do not just know enough. Kind of like blaming things on god. Not that some things are not hereditary. But i ask you this. Why the increase in so many cases in recent history?

originally posted by: roth1
To some degree, but studies do not have complete data. You are a product of your environment. All the toxins in your environment. Learned habits, diet and medicine from family. Most children closely follow their parents path. Though they may be more predisposition to have it i do not know for sure. But there is outside influence. That should not be disregarded because of blanket statements. I think most of the time they blame things on heredity they have something to hide or do not just know enough. Kind of like blaming things on god. Not that some things are not hereditary. But i ask you this. Why the increase in so many cases in recent history?

I honestly do not know. It could be they're getting better at finding them, or getting better at diagnosing them earlier and earlier. Also too, as others and yourself mentioned, environment. So who's to say.

originally posted by: Anyafaj

An American study of 78,000 women found that those whose fathers, brothers or sons had prostate cancer were 14 per cent more at risk of breast cancer.

Sometimes I wonder about the usefulness of this kind of information. Sometimes I wonder if it does more harm than good. If you the reader, were told you had a 14% more chance of being killed by police than by terrorists by how much would that change your lifestyle?

If you the reader were told you had a 14% better chance of winining lotto by buying 3 more tickets per week than you do now, would you buy 3 additional lotto tickets than you do now for the rest of your life?

Sometimes I think it might be wise if we asked "how much difference does this information make?"

a reply to: Anyafaj

To be honest with you - I think this is merely another news media event to get more funding. I tried to find the actual study. None of the links work and I search by name of the study and still couldn't find it.

Before you can know if the finding have any real significance, you have to also know the Confidence Interval. If the CI includes 1 than the results are barely interesting.

Without the full results and the actual study - its just another news media event to keep people in fear - oh no, my father had prostate cancer, I better go to the doctor for another mamogram

Tired of Control Freaks