This candidate gene resequencing strategy has been successful in identifying rare truncating mutations in a number of genes that confer approximately 2-fold risks of breast cancer (e.g. PALB2 and BRIP1).[35,36] This approach has also been successful for identifying rare alleles that act collectively to influence other complex traits and cancer phenotypes, with examples including variants in candidate genes that influence plasma lipid levels [37] and risk of developing colorectal adenomas.[38]. Here, BRIP1 is linked to cancer.