BRCA1 and breast carcinoma: Although inherited BRCA1-mutations account for a very small proportion of all breast cancers (2.5–5%), a significant proportion of the much larger group of sporadic (non-hereditary) breast cancers (30–40%) exhibit absent or significantly reduced levels of BRCA1 protein, suggesting that loss of BRCA1 function whether by epigenetic silencing, mutation, or other mechanisms is a common component in the pathogenesis of sporadic breast cancer (Rice et al., 1998; Taylor et al., 1998; Wilson et al., 1999; Esteller et al., 2000; Staff et al., 2003).