Early-onset breast cancer in Black women links most often to BRCA1 and BRCA2 variants

Article excerpt

Black women face disproportionately high rates of early-onset breast cancer and death from the disease. New research published in Cancer identifies which genetic mutations, primarily BRCA1 and BRCA2 variants, drive these elevated risks. The findings could help clinicians better screen and counsel Black women at genetic risk, potentially closing a gap in precision medicine where the genetic architecture of disease has been less studied in non-European populations. Understanding these specific mutations is critical because Black women are often underrepresented in genetic research, leaving them with fewer targeted prevention and treatment options.