BRCA1 and ovarian cancer: Approximately 239 000 females developed a new ovarian cancer in 2012 and 152 000 women died globally of the disease.1 Despite its high incidence and mortality, the etiology is not fully understood; however, established epidemiological risk factors for ovarian cancer include age, parity, oral contraceptive use, tubal ligation, and inherited germline mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2. 2, 3