BRCA1 and cancer: Hereditary breast and ovarian cancers originate from BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 gene mutations that significantly increase the likelihood of developing breast, ovarian, prostate and other types of cancer.1,10 Patients with Li-Fraumeni syndrome, characterised by TP53 mutations, have a heightened risk of cancer before age 30, and are almost guaranteed to suffer from cancer by the age of 60.8,11–13 Carriers of cancer syndrome associated genes also have a higher risk of multiple malignancies and rare cancers, and are more likely to develop cancer at a younger age.