About the book
Worldwide, breast cancer is the most frequent invasive cancer among women, impacting over two million women each year. It causes the maximum number of cancer-related deaths among women. The incidence of breast cancer varies greatly around the world. Since one woman in eight in the case of the USA or UK is prone to develop breast cancer at some time in her life, it is not surprising that many families have more than one case. Up to 20% of affected women have an affected first-or second-degree relative. Many of these represent chance coincidences, but statistical analysis reveals that in 5 to 10% of women with breast cancer the condition is indeed familial. Initial estimates of risk using a biased set of families for a BRCA1/2 mutation carrier have been variously estimated between 60% and 85%. Researchers and clinicians around the world are working to find better ways to prevent, detect, and treat BRCA-associated hereditary breast and/or ovarian cancer, and to improve the quality of life of patients and survivors. In recent years, there is a substantial amount of development in the area of BRCA-associated hereditary breast and/or ovarian cancer research and its clinical applications, for instance, BRCA cancer biology and genomics; epidemiology and prevention; early detection and screening; as well as diagnosis and treatment. In addition, since the advent of various emerging technologies, such as stem cell technology, genome editing technology, bionanotechnology, as well as personalized medicine, the knowledge gained from such studies not only enhanced our understanding of BRCA-associated cancer but also produced novel insights that could lead to the development and deployment of newer clinical/therapeutic interventions. Therefore, the purpose of this book is to consolidate the recent advances in the area of BRCA-associated cancer biology/therapeutics covering a broad spectrum of interrelated topics and to disseminate that knowledge in a comprehensible way to a great scientific and clinical audience.