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June 2023 | George M. Pikler, M.D., Ph.D., FACP

Obesity as a Risk for BRCA Mutation Carriers

Individuals with an inherited mutation in the DNA repair genes BRCA1 or BRCA2 have a higher risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. The risk is increased if they are obese (body mass index – BMI) ≥ 30, or overweight.

Bhardwaj et al. (1) evaluated the impact of a BRCA mutation in breast tissue of carriers with high and low BMI. Their study of healthy breast tissue from 69 BRCA gene mutation carriers undergoing mastectomies found that DNA damage increased with body mass index. The findings provided mechanistic evidence in support of a link between elevated BMI and breast cancer development in BRCA mutation carriers. This suggests that maintaining a lower BMI or pharmacologically targeting estrogen or metabolic dysfunction may reduce the risk of breast cancer in this population.

(1) Sci Transl Med. 2023 Feb 22; 15 (684)
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Erica

Erica Cross, PA

PA

Erica is a board certified Physician Assistant. She obtained her Master’s degree in Physician Assistant studies from Our Lady of the Lake College in Baton Rouge, LA. She began practicing in 2011 and has worked clinically in Orthopedics and Dermatology. The majority of her career has been spent in a Dermatology practice where she assisted in Mohs surgery, treating various types of skin cancer. She also teaches in the medical simulation department at the University of South Alabama and enjoys every aspect of medical education.