Get notified of page updates

ATM Inherited Mutations

Learn about the cancer risks and prevention and treatment options for people with an inherited ATM mutation

Stay up to date on research and information

Sign Up for FORCE Newsletters
Glossary on
off

Information for People with an Inherited Mutation

People with an in their gene have increased risk for certain cancers, including:

  • breast
  • ovarian
  • pancreatic
  • (more research needed to confirm this)

People with an mutation have options for screening, prevention and treatment of . There are expert guidelines and clinical trials that focus on:

  • screening and early detection
  • risk-reduction
  • treatment 

There may be other medical concerns for people with a mutation, including a rare childhood disease known as Ataxia-Telangiesctasia (AT) which can happen in people who inherit a mutation in both copies of their gene. 

Each of these topics is outlined in more detail in the sections highlighted below. 

More Information on Mutations

Cancer Risks

Cancer risk estimates are updated based on the latest research. Read about the lifetime risk for different cancers in people with inherited mutations. 

More info

Risk Management Options

Read about the latest expert guidelines for cancer screening and prevention for people with an mutation. Learn about research studies enrolling high-risk patients.  

More info

Cancer Treatment Options

Tumor  testing and genetic testing can provide additional clues about which treatments may work best for your cancer. People who test positive for an mutation may have additional treatment or clinical trial options available to them. 

More info

Other Considerations

People who inherit a mutation in both copies of their gene—one from each parent—have a rare disease known as Ataxia-Telangiesctasia. Learn additional information about inherited mutations. 

More info

More Resources

Watch our Videos on Mutations

Stories from the Community

June 11, 2021

Living Life to its Fullest with an ATM Mutation in a Coronavirus Pandemic

by Sharmila Sandhu I have always been a private person and kept personal issues to myself and a small, insulated group of friends. Therefore, when I received my breast cancer diagnosis in summer 2020, I didn’t want to burden others. I had no...

November 01, 2022

Lynch Syndrome, an ATM Mutation and Issues of Gender Identity and Fertility Access

by Scarlett Shiloh (they/them) Unfortunately, You Have Lynch Syndrome and an ATM Mutation I remember exactly how I felt hearing my genetic counselor say the word “unfortunately.” On March 10, 2022, I found out I inherited Lynch syndrome (I...

August 24, 2020

The Importance of Talking About Family Medical History: The Discussion That Led to My ATM and PALB2 Diagnosis

I never worried about breast or any other cancer because the women in my family never talked about it, even though my maternal grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 42 and years later with colon cancer.