A study published in CANCER evaluated 686 young Black women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer at age 50 or younger between 2005 and 2018 in Florida and Tennessee.
Genetic testing found that 15.3% carried a gene variant associated with breast or ovarian cancer risk. Most variants were in BRCA1 and BRCA2, with fewer in PALB2, ATM, and other genes.
Key Findings on Mutation Carriers
Women with mutations in BRCA1, BRCA2, and PALB2 often had a family history of breast cancer. Triple-negative breast cancer was most common among those with BRCA1 mutations.
Most BRCA1 mutation carriers were diagnosed at or before age 40, while age at diagnosis was more evenly distributed up to age 50 for other variants.
A Call for Broader Screening
The authors emphasize the need for genetic testing in young Black women, who are less likely to receive such screening.
"We must test at-risk women across all populations—testing is essential to personalize treatment strategies and enable life-saving prevention for future cancers." – Senior author Tuya Pal