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Cancer Risk

Read about different genes that are linked to hereditary cancer, their associated risks and guidelines for screening, preventing and treating cancers in people with inherited mutations in these genes.

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Hereditary Cancer and Genetic Testing > Hereditary Cancer Genes and Risk > By Gene Mutation > CHEK2 > Cancer Risk

Cancer risk associated with inherited mutations

Cancer risks may vary based on your specific mutation and family history. NCCN notes that some mutations (for example a mutation known as IIe157Thr) may be associated with lower breast cancer risks than other mutations. If you have tested positive for an inherited mutation, we recommend that you speak with a genetics expert who can look at your personal and family history of cancer and can help you choose the best plan for managing your cancer risk. Note that when we use "men" and "women" we are referring to the sex you were assigned at birth.

Breast cancer risk

Women have a lifetime risk of 20-40 percent.
There may also be an increased risk for male breast cancer, but the exact risk is unknown.

Colorectal cancer risk

People who inherit a mutation may be at increased risk of colorectal cancer. More research is needed to understand the lifetime colorectal cancer risk for people with mutations.

Graph of lifetime risk for breast cancer in woman with <button
x-data
class='glossary-tip tt-chek2'
x-tooltip='<p>CHEK2 is the name of a gene linked to cancer. Inherited mutations in CHEK2 increase the risk for breast cancer (in women and possibly in men), colorectal cancer and possibly prostate cancer. Mutations in CHEK2 can cause cancer to run in families. </p>'
>CHEK2</button> mutation

Other cancer risks for people with a mutation

Some research has linked mutations to other cancer risks, including and thyroid cancer. More research is needed to prove these links. Research on the risk for cancer in people with mutations is ongoing.

It is important to note that cancer risks are estimates over the course of a person's lifetime. Your lifetime risk and risk over the next five years will vary depending on:

current age
sex assigned at birth
specific mutation
personal and family health history
diet, exercise, lifestyle and other factors

Last updated June 13, 2023

Get Support

FORCE offers many peer support programs for people with inherited mutations.

Our Message Boards allow people to connect with others who share their situation. Once registered, you can post on the Diagnosed With Cancer board to connect with other people who have been diagnosed.
Our Peer Navigation Program will match you with a volunteer who shares your mutation and situation.
Our moderated, private Facebook group allows you to connect with other community members 24/7.
Check out our virtual and in-person support meeting calendar.
Join one of our Zoom community group meetings.

updated: 08/06/2022

Open Clinical Trials

NCT02665195: Registry Of MultiPlex Testing (PROMPT). PROMPT is an online research registry. The goal of PROMPT is to help researchers to better understand the risks that are linked to mutations in less well-studied genes. People with inherited mutations can enroll in PROMPT to help researchers learn more about cancer risks.

updated: 05/29/2023

Cancer risk associated with inherited CHEK2 mutations