Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome is an inherited condition that raises the lifetime risk of several cancers, most importantly breast cancer and ovarian cancer. It is caused by a change in one of two genes, BRCA1 or BRCA2. It is often shortened to HBOC. Roughly 1 in 400 people carries a change in one …
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CDH1 is a gene that carries the instructions for making E-cadherin, a protein that holds neighboring cells together. When a change in this gene is inherited, it causes a condition that raises the lifetime risk of two specific cancers: diffuse gastric cancer, a type of stomach cancer, and lobular breast cancer. The condition is called …
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BRCA1 and BRCA2 are genes that normally protect cells from becoming cancerous. Their job is to repair damaged DNA and keep cell division under control. When one of these genes carries a harmful mutation — a change that prevents the gene from working properly — that protective function is lost, and the risk of developing …
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Ki-67 is a protein found inside cells that are actively dividing. Because cancer cells divide more frequently than normal cells, measuring Ki-67 gives pathologists a way to estimate how quickly a breast cancer is growing. The result is expressed as a percentage — the proportion of cancer cells in active division at the time the …
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HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) is a protein found on the surface of cells that acts like an antenna, receiving signals that tell the cell to grow and divide. In normal breast tissue, HER2 is present in small amounts and plays a controlled role in cell growth. In some breast cancers, the gene …
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The estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) are proteins found inside breast cancer cells that respond to the hormones estrogen and progesterone. When a breast cancer test is positive for these receptors, it means the cancer cells are using hormones as fuel to grow. This information is one of the most important results on …
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A breast biopsy is a procedure in which a small amount of tissue is removed from the breast and sent to a pathology laboratory for examination. It is the only way to know for certain whether a breast abnormality is cancerous, precancerous, or benign. If you have received a breast biopsy pathology report, you may …
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Triple-negative breast cancer is a term used to describe breast cancers that do not show expression of three common markers: Estrogen receptor (ER). Progesterone receptor (PR). HER2 (also called ERBB2). These three markers are important because they are often used to guide treatment. Breast cancers that are ER-positive, PR-positive, or HER2-positive can be treated with …
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Metaplastic carcinoma is a rare type of breast cancer that makes up less than 1% of all invasive breast cancers. It develops when breast cancer cells change their appearance and begin to resemble other cell types, such as flat squamous cells, elongated spindle cells resembling connective tissue, or even cartilage- or bone-like cells. Because of this variety, pathologists describe …
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BRCA1 and BRCA2 are tumor suppressor genes. This means they normally help prevent cancer by repairing damaged DNA and regulating cell growth. When either of these genes is mutated (changed), cells are more likely to grow in an uncontrolled way, which can lead to cancer. These mutations can be inherited from a parent and are …
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