| Women who have BRCA breast cancer | | | | (central or eastern European) Jewish |
| genetic mutations are just as likely to | | | | heritage [one reason why the study was |
| survive as other women who get breast | | | | done in Israel]. |
| cancer, according to a new study | | | | Using the Israeli National Cancer |
| published in the New England Journal of | | | | Registry, the researchers were able to |
| Medicine. | | | | compare two large groups of BCRA |
| Women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are | | | | carriers and non-carriers with breast |
| more likely to get breast cancer. It was | | | | cancer. They tested the DNA from stored |
| also widely believed that those with | | | | tumor specimens from patients treated in |
| hereditary breast cancer from BRCA1 | | | | Israel between 1987- 1998, and then |
| mutations had worse outcomes. This new | | | | reviewed the medical records from women |
| study, tracked two groups of women with | | | | whose specimens were collected. The |
| breast cancer in Israel, one with the | | | | mutation was found in about 10% of the |
| inherited BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, and | | | | women who were of Ashkenazi Jewish |
| the other without. The researchers found | | | | heritage. The ten year survival rates |
| no significant difference in death rates | | | | between women who had the mutation and |
| between the two groups. Between 5 and 10 | | | | those who did not were similar. |
| percent of all breast cancers are | | | | This news should prove reassuring for |
| hereditary and are more likely to occur | | | | women who carry the BRCA mutations and |
| with women from certain ethnic | | | | worry about breast cancer survival. |
| backgrounds like people of Ashkenazi | | | | |