A BRCA1 mutation was found in 3, and BRCA2 in 1 of 31 (together − 12.9%) women diagnosed with ovarian cancer at or under the age of 50 compared to 8 BRCA1 and 6 BRCA2 carriers of 127 (together − 11.0%) women diagnosed at a later age. Here, BRCA1 is linked to ovarian carcinoma.