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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

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Overview
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Cancer Risk
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Risk Management
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Cancer Treatment

Cancer risk associated with inherited  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.  
  • Men may also be at increased risk for 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 a gene found on chromosome 22.&nbsp;Mutations in&nbsp;CHEK2 increase the risk for&nbsp;breast cancer in women. CHEK2 mutations may also&nbsp;increase risk of breast cancer and&nbsp;prostate cancer in men, as well as&nbsp;colon cancer in both men and women.</p> ' >CHEK2</button> mutation

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 February 27, 2023

Get Support
Get Support

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

updated: 08/06/2022

Related Resources
Related Resources

The following resources focus on  mutations. 

updated: 02/10/2023

Open Clinical Trials
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: 02/05/2022