5% of breast cancers are due to a genetic mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. BRCA is a DNA repair gene, however, when mutated can lead to both breast and ovarian cancer in your lifetime. The rate of risk is 60-80%  for breast cancer and 30-40% risk of ovarian cancer.

Patients with a strong family history of cancer, or with multiple family members diagnosed with breast cancer or ovarian cancer under the age of 50, or a male breast cancer in the family, may request to see a genetic counsellor to test for this genetic mutation.