Loss of BRCA1 is associated with a more aggressive phenotype in sporadic breast cancer (Jarvis et al, 1998; Taylor et al, 1998) and concomitant loss of FHIT and BRCA1 alleles has also been reported in a number of repair-deficient cancers including breast cancer and ovarian cancers (Wilson et al, 1999; Turner et al, 2002; Santos et al, 2004). The gene discussed is BRCA1; the disease is cancer.