This is not the case with the mutations of the BRCA genes in women. These mutated genes can be inherited from either parent. Cases of breast and ovarian cancer may seem to skip a generation, when being carried by a male, but may well appear in females in the next generation. 4 Remember, breast cancer can occur in men, usually associated with a mutation of BRCA2. Four-generation pedigree showing autosomal dominant inheritance of a breast cancer gene.
Breast cancer occurs in females in four generations.
Note that the male carrier in Generation II has two daughters and a granddaughter with breast cancer. In a single family, a specific mutation occurs. Not all mutations result in the occurrence of breast cancer. Some mutations are in silent areas of the gene and are never expressed. We know, for example, that estrogen, whether manufactured by your body or taken by prescription, is a primary risk factor.