Three sisters decide to have genetic testing done because their mother and their maternal grandmother died of breast cancer. Each of the sisters has the BRCA1 gene mutation. The nurse explains that just because they have the gene does not necessarily mean that they will develop breast cancer. On what does the nurse explain their chances of developing breast cancer depend?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A woman who has the $B R C A 1$ hereditary breast cancer gene mutation has a lifetime risk of breast cancer that can be as high as $80 \%$, not $100 \%$. This quality, known as incomplete penetrance, indicates the probability that a given gene will produce disease. The other answers are incorrect because sensitivity, conductivity, and susceptibility are not the central concepts inBRCA1 gene mutation.

Three Sisters Decide to Have Genetic Testing Done Because Their