Two genes which are five times more likely to be defective in Ashkenazi Jewish women of European descent than in the general population, are the focus of researchers who are looking to prevent cancers which are caused by the defective genes.

BRCA1 and BRCA2, dubbed the "Jewish breast cancer genes", were discovered in the 1990s, and are now among the most heavily researched genetic mutations in the world of cancer research. The pair of genes is responsible for creating proteins to fix broken DNA strands. But When the genes are mutated, the cells produce proteins which are unable to repair broken DNA, leading to the creation of cancer instead.

For full story, click here.