breast cancer, male

breast cancer susceptibility gene An inherited factor that predisposes an individual to breast cancer. Two of these genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, have been identified. Several other genes (those for LiFraumeni syndrome, Cowden disease, Muir-Torre syndrome, and ataxia-telangiectasia) are also known to predispose women to breast cancer. However, because all these known breast cancer susceptibility genes together do not account for more than a minor fraction of breast cancer that clusters in families, it is clear that more breast cancer genes remain to be discovered. See also BRCA1; BRCA2.