The implications for men who carry a BRCA gene variation/alteration depend on whether the alteration is in BRCA1 or BRCA2.
Studies indicate that 1-2% of men with a BRCA1 variant and 7-8% of men with a BRCA2 variant develop male breast cancer during their lifetime, compared to about 0.1% of men in the general population.
BRCA1 variants are also associated with prostate cancer risk.
Men with a BRCA2 variant also have a higher lifetime risk for prostate (25%) and pancreatic (25%) cancer, and melanoma.