A 52-year-old member asked:
What does the brca in brca1 stand for?
5 doctor answers • 13 doctors weighed in
Dr. Michael Zadehanswered
General Surgery 18 years experience
Breast Cancer: The brca in brca1 and brca2 stands for breast cancer susceptibility gene. They are a type of gene known as tumor suppressor genes.
6.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Matt Malkinanswered
Anesthesiology 17 years experience
Abbreviation: Breast cancer is my guess. Genetic researchers can actually come up with some crazy names and abbreviations. The fruitfly researchers i know tend to be even wackier. Fortunately, these researchers chose something straightforward and memorable, which helps spread the word of such a serious disease.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Devon Websteranswered
Medical Oncology 23 years experience
BReast CAncer: Brca is short for breast cancer. That's because mutations in these genes increase the risk for breast cancer. The mutations also increase the risk for other cancers, but the higher rate of breast cancer was identified first, so that's how the genes were named.
4.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Dr. Judy Mouchawaranswered
Preventive Medicine 30 years experience
Breast cancer: "BR" stands for breast
"CA" stands for cancer
In the mid-1990's, after years of research, two genes were found that are changed in many families with breast cancer.
The first gene was named BRCA1 and the second gene was named BRCA2.
3.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Brian Nguyenanswered
Obstetrics and Gynecology 12 years experience
Breast Cancer: Women w/ 2+ immediate family members w/ a hx of breast/ovarian CA at 50% chance of developing breast cancer. If you have it, get screened with CA-125 blood test, ultrasound, mammogram/MRI, usually starting at age 30. Surgery after childbearing.
2.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Jun 7, 2019
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