BRCA1 and cancer risks for men and people assigned male at birth

A BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene variant causes a higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer in women and people assigned female at birth. But the cancer risks are much smaller for men and people assigned male at birth who have these gene variants.

Men, and people assigned male at birth, with a BRCA1 gene variant are likely to have a similar risk of cancer as the general population. 

It is still important to remember the gene variant can be passed to any children you may have. If you pass the gene variant to a daughter, the daughter’s lifetime cancer risks are much higher.

Lifetime risk of pancreatic cancer

Of 100 people in the general population, 1 or 2 of them will develop pancreatic cancer before the age of 80. This also means 98 or 99 of them will not develop pancreatic cancer.

The risk is slightly higher if you have a BRCA1 variant. Of 100 men with a BRCA1 variant, between 2 and 5 of them will develop pancreatic cancer before the age of 80. This also means 95 to 98 of them will not develop pancreatic cancer.