BRCA1 and BRCA2 have a limited role in familial prostate cancer

Epidemiological studies have suggested that the breast cancer susceptibility genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, may be involved in the development of prostate cancer. Several studies have screened prostate cancer populations for the presence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, with few mutations identified. In this study, 22 high-risk prostate cancer families (at least three cases of prostate cancer) were screened by conformation-sensitive gel electrophoresis (CSGE) for mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2. To maximize the chance of finding mutations in these two genes, families were also selected for the presence of at least two cases of breast and/or ovarian cancer. We identified one previously reported BRCA2 missense mutation and two previously unreported BRCA2 intron polymorphisms. No BRCA1 or BRCA2 truncating mutations were detected. Thus, BRCA1 and BRCA2 appear to have a limited role in familial prostate cancer, and families with both prostate and breast cancer may result from mutations in other predisposition genes.