The benefits of preventive surgery will be proportionally greater for an older BRCA2 carrier than an older BRCA1 carrier, and therefore if a BRCA2 carrier discovers her mutation status when she is peri- or post-menopausal, the potential benefits of preventive mastectomy should not be understated, as the breast cancer risks do not significantly diminish following menopause. This evidence concerns the gene BRCA1 and breast cancer.