To evaluate these observations, we examined the expression levels of 72 NFκB target genes related to apoptosis and the immune system (http://people.bu.edu/gilmore/NFkB/target/index.html) in our ER-negative BRCA1 tumours and in the BRCA1-mutated cell line MDA-MB-436, showing very low levels of the BRCA1 transcript with respect to the BRCA1-mutated cell line HCC1937 (harbouring a mutation that is known not to trigger NMD) and other control breast cancer cell lines. This evidence concerns the gene BRCA1 and breast carcinoma.