Around 5-10% of women with breast cancer have a strong family history of the disease. In genetics clinics throughout Canada genetic testing in two genes called BRCA1 and BRCA2 is done on a routine basis to identify at risk women and offer them increased surveillance for breast cancer. However in many families, no mutations in  the BRCA1/2 genes can be found. Over the last 15 years there has been much effort to find new genes but it has proved difficult. We have designed a new combined genomic approach that involves scanning the whole genome to look for altered genes that are "underperforming", the premise being that these genes may have mutations which stop them from working properly. We will investigate plausible new candidate genes found by genome scanning using  a variety of conventional techniques to determine the likelihood that they are disease causing. We have shown that this approach is effective in identifying genes colon cancer and now wish to apply it to hereditary breast cancer.

This research project is jointly funded with the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation.