A Pedigree of Familial Breast Cancer with Seven Breast Cancer Patients in Four Generations

Abstract

Case one was a 52-year-old woman with right-sided breast cancer. She underwent a partial mastectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy. The pathological diagnosis was ductal carcinoma in situ. Case two was a cousin of case one ; she was a 45-year-old woman who underwent a total mastectomy, axillary lymph node dissection, and risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy for left-sided breast cancer. The pathological finding was papillotubular carcinoma. Due to a strong family history of breast cancer (seven breast cancer patients including bilateral breast cancer, multiple organ cancer, and young-onset breast cancer in four generations), case one and case two were suspected to have hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC). Genetic testing confirmed 5903delG in the BRCA2 gene. BRCA gene testing is useful in diagnosing HBOC ; in addition to determining the primary prevention of breast and ovarian cancers, and aiding selection of surgical or chemotherapy treatment.