The gene that raises a woman's risk of breast cancer also increases a man's risk. HealthDay discusses how the faulty BRCA2 gene, which is often thought of as a concern only to women, raises a man's risk of the disease to one in 12 by the time they are 80 years old. Overall, the lifetime risk of men carrying the BRCA gene is between 6 and 9 percent.

"These risks are sufficient to increase awareness of breast cancer among men in BRCA2 families and to stress the importance of early presentation with breast symptoms," said the researchers led by Gareth Evans, of St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester.


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