BRCA1 and BRCA2 & Ovarian Cancer
Females who inherit a mutation in the BRCA1 gene, the BRCA2 gene, or both genes also have an increased risk for ovarian cancer. With BRCA1, the lifetime risk for ovarian cancer is 15 to 45%. With BRCA2, the lifetime risk is slightly lower at 15 to 30%.
Women without these gene mutations have a lifetime risk of just 1.7%. Having a BRCA gene mutation does not seem to affect the age at which ovarian cancer starts. And, though the risk of ovarian cancer increases after having had breast cancer, the order of the cancers cannot be predicted. The ovarian cancers associated with these gene mutations may occur before or after a diagnosis of breast cancer.