Short report. The AIDIT and IMPACT conference 2006: Outcomes and future directions

Abstract

IMPACT (Identification of Men with a genetic predisposition to ProstAte Cancer: Targeted screening in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers and controls) is an international collaboration investigating the utility of targeted prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening for men at increased risk of prostate cancer due to inherited predisposition. Although the majority of prostate cancer occurs sporadically, it is recognized that family history plays a role in a significant number of cases: a family history either of prostate cancer alone, or of other cancers including breast and ovarian cancer. Evidence of the link between single genes and prostate cancer risk is strongest for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, with BRCA2 in particular thought to lead to a relative risk of 4.65 (95%CI 3.48-6.22). This relative risk may be as high as 7.33 in men under the age of 65 years.