In a case series of 263 men in the UK diagnosed with prostate cancer at younger ages (⩽55 years), and who were not selected on the basis of either breast or prostate cancer family history, the prevalence of protein-truncating BRCA2 mutations was 2.3% (95% confidence interval (95%CI) 0.8–5.0%) (Edwards et al, 2003). This evidence concerns the gene BRCA2 and prostate cancer.