Imperial Cancer Research Fund scientists are taking part in a Europe-wide study to investigate the effects of diet on all types of cancer. Breast cancer is extremely uncommon in men, but it occurs in around 200 men in the UK each year. Also one of the key risk factors is a woman's lifetime exposure to the female sex hormone, oestrogen. Those who begin their periods early and finish them late are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer than those with an early menopause - although the latter have a higher risk of heart disease and osteoporosis . Their discovery has paved the way for women considered potentially at high risk to have a test to see whether they posses either of the genes.
Testing is complicated because the genes are personalised to each family.
Although new techniques to speed up the testing process are likely to be developed over the next few years, such screening is still linked largely to research programmes and is not yet widely available. Meanwhile, the best advice for women concerned about genetic risk is to contact their GP for reassurance or possible referral to a clinical geneticist if there is cause for concern. How breast cancer develops The breasts are mainly made of fatty tissue combined with thousands of tiny milk-producing glands. These tissues extend into the armpit and each breast is surrounded by lymph nodes, which filter toxins from the breast so that they do not enter the bloodstream. They also fight to prevent cancerous cells from the breast spreading to the rest of the body.