Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Do only women carry breast cancer genes? | CION Cancer Clinics
No. Men carry breast cancer gene faults just as often as women, and pass them on in exactly the same way. A father with a BRCA fault has a one in two chance of passing it to each child, son or daughter. This page explains why the name misleads families, what a fault means for a man's own health, and why the men in your family belong in the family tree. At CION Cancer Clinics, our team helps carriers and their families plan checks, next steps and support after a genetic result.
NG
Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
17+specialists on panel
15,000+patients treated
35+centres across Telangana & AP
4.8★ / 800+Google rating
On this page
- Can a man carry a breast cancer gene fault?
- Which men in the family can carry a fault?
- How does a fault pass through a father to his daughter?
- What do the words on a man's report mean?
- What does a fault mean for a man compared with a woman?
- What can this page not tell you?
- What else do families believe about men and these genes?
- Common questions about men and breast cancer genes
The short answer
Can a man carry a breast cancer gene fault?
Yes. Men carry faults in BRCA1, BRCA2 and the other breast cancer genes just as often as women do. A father passes a fault to his children in exactly the same way a mother does. Leaving men out of the family story is one of the commonest reasons an inherited pattern is missed.
Why the name misleads families
These genes were first studied in families with a lot of breast and ovarian cancer, so they picked up the label "breast cancer genes". In fact they do the same repair job in every cell of every person. They sit on chromosomes that men and women both carry in pairs, which is why sex makes no difference to who inherits them.
Why it matters in an Indian family
In many households the family history is told through the women. A grandmother's illness is remembered, while a father's sister who died young in the village is rarely mentioned. A man who carries a fault may never be ill himself, so nobody asks about his side. To a counsellor, both sides count equally.
A healthy father can still be the person who carries the fault into the next generation.Who can carry it
Which men in the family can carry a fault?
Any blood relative can carry a fault, whatever their sex. These are the men families most often forget to count.
Fathers
A father with a fault has a one in two chance of passing it to each child, son or daughter. Many fathers only learn they carry a fault after a daughter is diagnosed and tested.
Brothers
If a sister has been found to carry a fault, each of her brothers had the same one in two chance of inheriting it from the parent who carries it. Brothers are offered the same test as sisters.
Sons
A son can inherit a fault from either parent. He may never develop cancer himself, but he can pass it to his own daughters and sons.
Worth knowing for him
- His own risk of some cancers may be raised
- His children's risk depends on whether he carries it
- Testing usually waits until he is an adult
The father's side as a whole
Aunts, uncles and cousins on the father's side matter as much as those on the mother's side. A father's sister with breast or ovarian cancer is an important clue, even if the father is well.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistHow it travels
How does a fault pass through a father to his daughter?
-
The fault is present in every cell of the father
He inherited it from one of his own parents. It sits in every cell of his body, including the cells that make sperm. He usually has no idea it is there.
-
Each sperm carries one copy of the gene
He has two copies of the gene, one working and one faulty. Each sperm carries only one of the two. Which one each child receives is down to chance.
-
Each child has an even chance of inheriting it
For every pregnancy, the chance is one in two. The sex of the child makes no difference, and earlier children do not change the odds for later ones.
-
A daughter who inherits it has a raised breast cancer risk
She carries exactly the same risk as a woman who inherited it from her mother. Her screening and choices are planned the same way.
-
The illness can look as if it skipped the father
Because the father stayed well, the family may say the cancer came from nowhere. The fault was there all along. It simply passed through a man who did not develop cancer.
On the report
What do the words on a man's report mean?
- BRCA1 and BRCA2
- Two genes that help cells repair damaged DNA. A fault in either one raises the risk of some cancers in both men and women.
- Carrier
- Someone who has an inherited fault but does not have cancer. A man who is a carrier is not a patient and needs no treatment.
- Pathogenic variant
- A change in the gene known to stop it working. This is what people mean when they say a gene fault or a mutation.
- Germline
- Present in every cell from birth, and so able to be passed on. A fault found only inside a tumour is called somatic and is not inherited.
- Cascade testing
- Testing relatives one step at a time for the exact fault already found in the family. Brothers and fathers are part of the cascade.
- Male breast cancer
- Breast cancer in a man. It is uncommon, and when it happens it is one of the strongest reasons to offer genetic testing.
Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
Side by side
What does a fault mean for a man compared with a woman?
A woman who carries it
A man who carries it
Breast cancer risk is substantially raised
Breast cancer risk is raised, though it stays uncommon
Ovarian cancer risk is raised
Prostate cancer risk is raised, mostly with BRCA2
Pancreatic cancer risk is somewhat raised
Pancreatic cancer risk is somewhat raised
Each child has a one in two chance of inheriting it
Each child has a one in two chance of inheriting it
Being straight with you
What can this page not tell you?
It cannot tell you whether a man in your family carries a fault. Only a test can answer that, and the test is most useful when it starts with the relative who already had cancer. A genetic counsellor will decide who should be tested first and which genes to look at.
It cannot give a man his own risk figure
Risk differs between BRCA1 and BRCA2, and between variants. Studies of men are smaller than studies of women, so the figures are less certain. What your specific variant means is a question for the counsellor who ordered the test.
Who this does not apply to
Most men do not need a genetic test. If your family has one older relative with breast cancer and no other pattern, testing a man is unlikely to change anything. This page matters most where a fault has already been found, or where the father's side has young or unusual cancers.
If you are unsure whether the men in your family should be counted, describe the family to the helpline and ask.Commonly believed
What else do families believe about men and these genes?
"Breast cancer genes only come down the mother's line."
They come down both lines with equal ease. A daughter is just as likely to inherit a fault from her father as from her mother, and the risk it brings is the same.
"Men cannot get breast cancer."
Men have a small amount of breast tissue and can develop breast cancer. It is uncommon, but the risk is higher in men who carry a BRCA2 fault. A lump behind a man's nipple should always be checked.
"My brother does not need testing because he is a man."
He had the same chance of inheriting the fault as you did. His result affects his own health checks and tells his children whether they need to think about testing too.
"My father is healthy, so the fault must be from my mother."
Good health says nothing about which parent carries it. Many men carry a fault for a lifetime and never develop cancer. Only testing the parents, or their relatives, can show which side it came from.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about men and breast cancer genes
Can my father pass a BRCA fault to me?
Yes. If your father carries a BRCA1 or BRCA2 fault, you had a one in two chance of inheriting it, whether you are a son or a daughter. The fault behaves exactly as it would if it had come from your mother. Your counsellor will ask about his side of the family for this reason.
Should my brother be tested if I carry a fault?
He should be offered testing once he is an adult and wants it. He had the same chance of inheriting the fault as you. A result tells him about his own cancer risk and whether his children need to consider testing. The choice to test is always his own.
What cancers is a man with a BRCA fault more likely to get?
The main raised risks are prostate cancer and breast cancer, and to a lesser degree pancreatic cancer. The rise is usually larger with BRCA2 than with BRCA1. Many men who carry a fault never develop any of these. Your counsellor will explain which checks make sense for you.
Does a man with a fault need screening?
Often, yes, though it looks different from a woman's screening. It may include prostate checks starting earlier than usual and knowing how to check his chest for a lump. The plan depends on the gene and the family history, so it is made with the counsellor and oncologist.
My father has died. Can we still find out if the fault came from him?
Sometimes. Testing your mother can show whether the fault is on her side. His brothers or sisters can be tested too. If he had surgery for cancer, a stored tissue block may still be usable. A counsellor will work out the best route.
Is breast cancer in a man a sign of an inherited fault?
It is one of the strongest signs. Guidelines advise offering genetic testing to any man diagnosed with breast cancer, whatever his age or family history. A fault is not found in every case, but it is found often enough to make testing worthwhile.
Will my son's marriage be affected if he is tested?
A test result belongs to him, and nobody else needs to be told without his consent. Many families worry about this. A counsellor can talk through who to tell and when, before he decides whether to test at all.
Where do we start if a fault is already known in the family?
Ask the relative who was tested for a copy of their report, or the family letter from their counsellor. Take it to a genetic counsellor or to your oncologist. Men and women in the family can then be offered a test for that exact fault, which is simpler than a full panel.
Your Specialists
Meet CION's oncologists. Bring your family history or genetic report to them.
Our medical oncologists see people with a strong family history of cancer, arrange genetic counselling and testing where it fits, and plan the checks that follow.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Want a specific doctor for your case? Mention them when booking.
Book Free ConsultationBook an appointment with our specialist
Share your name and number — we'll call you back within 30 minutes to schedule your consultation.
Sources
- National Cancer Institute — BRCA Gene Changes: Cancer Risk and Genetic Testing Fact Sheet
- MedlinePlus Genetics — BRCA2 gene
- National Cancer Institute — Breast Cancer in Men
- Cancer Research UK — Inherited genes and cancer types
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Myth: only the mother's side mattersWhy the father's side of the tree counts just as muchMale breast cancer and genetic testingWhy every man with breast cancer is offered a testMyth: cancer always skips a generationHow a fault passes quietly through a healthy parentMyths about inherited cancerEvery common belief about family cancer, checked in one place
Talk to us
Should the men in our family be tested too?
Tell us what has been found in your family and who has already been tested. We will explain who else should be offered a test and arrange counselling if it helps. One helpline serves every CION centre.