‍

For individuals with a family history of breast cancer considering in vitro fertilization (IVF), a pressing question often arises: Is breast cancer hereditary? Understanding the genetic factors behind breast cancer and the options available can help would-be parents make informed decisions. This educational post explains which breast cancers are hereditary and how preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) during IVF can help identify embryos without high-risk mutations.

Understanding Hereditary Breast Cancer Risk

Breast cancer can sometimes run in families due to inherited genetic mutations. While most breast cancer cases are sporadic (not directly passed down), a significant minority are hereditary. In fact, roughly 5–10% of adult cancers – including breast cancer – stem from inherited gene variants (How can Orchid tell me about an embryo’s future risk for cancer?). This means certain people are born with genetic changes that raise their breast cancer risk, which can be passed from parent to child.

BRCA1 and BRCA2: Key Genetic Risk Factors

The most common hereditary breast cancer cases involve mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. These mutations are well-known for greatly increasing breast cancer risk. Women who inherit a harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 variant face up to a ~70% lifetime chance of developing breast cancer, far above the ~12% risk in the general population (How can Orchid tell me about an embryo’s future risk for cancer?). Importantly, such high-risk mutations can be passed down through generations in a family and can show up clinically in many different ways.

IVF and PGT for Hereditary Cancer Prevention

For a parent carrying a high-risk mutation like BRCA1 or BRCA2, each child has a 50% chance of inheriting that same mutation (How can Orchid tell me about an embryo’s future risk for cancer?). Because of this risk, many individuals with a family history of breast or other cancers choose to undergo IVF and utilize PGT to avoid passing on the mutation. Discussing these concerns with clinicians and genetic counselors can often identify families at risk and direct further testing.

Orchid’s Whole-Genome PGT: Comprehensive Cancer Risk Screening

Traditional preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic conditions (PGT-M) typically checks for a single specific mutation that a family already knows about. Orchid offers a more comprehensive approach: using whole-genome preimplantation genetic testing, Orchid’s embryo screening examines many genes at once – covering dozens of hereditary cancer genes, including BRCA1 and BRCA2. This means Orchid’s test can identify embryos carrying high-risk cancer mutations even if the parents were unaware they had those variants. All genes screened are selected based on rigorous curation by clinical experts, ensuring the results provide meaningful, clinical-grade insights into inherited cancer risk (How can Orchid tell me about an embryo’s future risk for cancer?). For IVF patients with a family history of breast cancer, this advanced PGT provides peace of mind and a proactive path to breaking the cycle of hereditary disease.