A major study of 3,000 women conducted by Erasmus MC has provided more insight into the survival chances for women with breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2.
For example, it appears that women with a BRCA1 mutation have a slightly increased chance of survival with a preventive mastectomy, NOS.nl reports. But the survival rates for women with the BRCA2 gene are minimally affected by a preventive mastectomy. It turned out that the survival rate was 100 percent after a mastectomy. That percentage was 98 percent without amputation, but with regular check-ups.
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The Breast Cancer Society is not very surprised by the figures, as women who carry the BRCA2 gene have been told for some time that the chances of survival do not improve much by removing their breasts preventively. Nevertheless, this procedure is often chosen because it removes a lot of worries and stress and women do not have to go to check-ups every six months.
Of the 268 women who have the BRCA1 gene, 20 died of breast cancer in the past ten years. The women who had both breasts removed had a 99.7 percent survival rate. The women who did not opt for this procedure had a survival rate of 93 percent.
It is the first study to look at the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes in this way. Researchers say the results have yet to be confirmed in other studies.
