New insights into the prevention and treatment of familial breast cancer.

Individuals who inherit a deleterious mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 are at very high risk for breast cancer but there are several strategies available for successfully managing this risk. Breast cancers that develop in the context of germline BRCA gene mutation present challenges for management but also opportunities. DNA damaging agents, like cisplatin, and the new class of drugs called PARP inhibitors exploit the underlying defect in DNA damage repair to great effect.