BRCA
Medical abbreviation · Hematology and Oncology
| Stands for | Breast cancer gene |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
BRCA stands for Breast cancer gene, a hematology and oncology abbreviation.
Refers to the BRCA1 and BRCA2 tumor suppressor genes, which help repair damaged DNA. Inherited harmful variants greatly raise the lifetime risk of breast, ovarian, prostate and pancreatic cancers and are carried by an estimated 1 in 400 to 1 in 800 people in the general population and about 1 in 40 people of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry.
Example: Germline BRCA2 pathogenic variant; MRI screening and discussion of risk-reducing surgery.
Usage notes
BRCA1 was mapped in 1990 by Mary-Claire King's team and cloned in 1994, with BRCA2 identified in 1995. Women with a BRCA1 variant have a lifetime breast cancer risk of roughly 55 to 72 percent and ovarian cancer risk of about 40 percent. Angelina Jolie's 2013 essay about her preventive mastectomy greatly increased testing, and a 2013 US Supreme Court ruling barred patents on the natural genes. PARP inhibitors exploit BRCA-related repair defects.
Related abbreviations
More hematology and oncology abbreviations
- ASCT – Autologous stem cell transplant
- ASH – American Society of Hematology
- BCR-ABL – Breakpoint cluster region-Abelson fusion gene
- BEP – Bleomycin, etoposide, Platinol (cisplatin)
- BMT – Bone marrow transplant
- BRAF – B-Raf proto-oncogene
- Ca – Cancer (carcinoma)
- CA 19-9 – Carbohydrate antigen 19-9
- CA-125 – Cancer antigen 125
- CAPOX – Capecitabine and oxaliplatin
- CAR-T – Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy
- CAT – Cancer-associated thrombosis
See all 144 hematology and oncology abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.