PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - J A Duncan
AU  - J R Reeves
AU  - T G Cooke
TI  - BRCA1 and BRCA2 proteins: roles in health and disease.
AID  - 10.1136/mp.51.5.237
DP  - 1998 Oct 01
TA  - Molecular Pathology
PG  - 237--247
VI  - 51
IP  - 5
4099  - http://mp.bmj.com/content/51/5/237.short
4100  - http://mp.bmj.com/content/51/5/237.full
SO  - Mol Pathol1998 Oct 01; 51
AB  - Between 5% and 10% of all breast cancer is hereditary, with patients having a strong family history of the disease. The remaining 90-95% of cases are classed as sporadic. Within the inherited group, 80-90% of cases are the result of germline mutations affecting two recently identified genes: BRCA1 and BRCA2. Since the sequencing of these genes, considerable research on the genetics of the mutation carriers has been performed, with less attention having been focused on the BRCA1 and BRCA2 proteins themselves. The structure and function of the protein products thus continues to hold mystery and might be the key to the full understanding of this complex disease.