Genetic link found to breast, prostate cancers

New research suggests hereditary breast and prostate cancer may be two sides of the same coin.
UK scientists have discovered that both diseases develop the same way in women and men with a faulty BRCA2 gene. This gene, which is involved in DNA repair, is known to play a role in breast, ovarian and prostate cancers.

According to researchers cancer-causing DNA defects in male genetically engineered to lack BRCA2 in their prostate glands. Prostate cells from the “knockout” males accumulated DNA damage faster than it could be repaired. Over time, the disrupted DNA was expected to lead to powerful anti-tumour genes being damaged, triggering cancer.