Which cancers are most commonly linked to BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations?

• A. Breast and ovarian cancers
• B. Prostate and pancreatic
• C. Colorectal and stomach
• D. Brain and skin

Answer: (A)

Mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 disable a key DNA repair pathway, leading to genomic instability and a higher cancer risk in tissues that rely on this repair mechanism. The cancers most strongly and consistently linked to these mutations are breast and ovarian cancer, forming the hereditary breast-ovarian cancer syndrome. This association is well established through epidemiologic data showing substantially elevated lifetime risks for both breast and ovarian cancers in BRCA1/BRCA2 carriers. While these genes also influence risk for other cancers—such as prostate and pancreatic—the strongest, most classic connection is with breast and ovarian cancers. Colorectal, stomach, brain, or skin cancers are not as consistently associated with BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations.