The BRCA name comes from the first two letters of breast cancer in English (BReast CAncer). BRCA 1 is a human gene that provides instructions for making a protein that acts as a tumor suppressor.
Tumor suppressor proteins help prevent cells from growing and dividing too rapidly or in an uncontrolled way.
The BRCA 1 gene also regulates the activity of other genes.
Many of the mutations in the BRCA 1 gene are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, as well as several other types of cancer (prostate, ovaries, fallopian tubes, pancreatic cancer).
