# A high prevalence of BRCA1 mutations among breast cancer patients from the Bahamas

Source: https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-donenberg-bahamas-brca1-founder-bcrt-2011/  
OnCo record `paper-donenberg-bahamas-brca1-founder-bcrt-2011` (Key paper). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Nearly a quarter of 214 Bahamian women with breast cancer, chosen without regard to age or family history, carried one of six BRCA1 founder mutations, the highest national prevalence recorded.

## Summary

214 Bahamian women with invasive breast cancer, unselected for age or family history, were screened for six BRCA1 mutations previously reported in Bahamian cancer families. A mutation was identified in 49 (23%); frequency was 33% in women diagnosed before 50, 41% with a first-degree relative with breast or ovarian cancer and 58% with bilateral disease. About 23% of unselected breast cancers in the Bahamas are attributable to a BRCA1 founder mutation.

## Fields

- Kind: Key paper
- Last checked: 2026-09-24
- Journal: Breast Cancer Research and Treatment
- Year: 2011
- DOI: 10.1007/s10549-010-1156-9
- Authors: Donenberg T, Lunn J, Curling D, et al.
- Findings: BRCA1 founder mutation in 49 of 214 unselected patients, 23%.; 33% under age 50, 41% with an affected first-degree relative, 58% with bilateral disease.
- What it means: Founder-mutation screening of every breast cancer patient is justified in the Bahamas, and the finding explains part of the early-onset, BRCA1-driven triple-negative burden across Afro-Caribbean populations.
- Caveats: Only the six known founder alleles were tested; full sequencing would find more.; Receptor status was not the focus of the study.

## Sources

- Donenberg et al., Breast Cancer Res Treat 2011: BRCA1 founder mutations in 214 Bahamian breast cancer patients: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-010-1156-9
- PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20838878/

## Connected records

- cancers: [Breast cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/breast-cancer/), [Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)](https://onco.cc/cancers/tnbc/)
- targets: [BRCA1 / BRCA2 (HRD)](https://onco.cc/targets/brca/)
- terms: [Germline BRCA mutation (gBRCA)](https://onco.cc/terms/gbrca-mutation/)
- journals: [Breast cancer research and treatment](https://onco.cc/journals/breast-cancer-research-and-treatment/)

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