Genetic Epidemiology of Breast and Ovarian Cancers

The increased risk of breast and ovarian cancers associated with a family history of these diseases is well established. Yet the relative contributions of biologic inheritance, cultural practices, shared environmental exposures, and chance co-occurrence of disease to this association are only now emerging. As a consequence, the heterogeneous, multicausal nature of breast and ovarian carcinogenesis is increasingly apparent, as is the important role played by genetic influences.