Latina women at greater risk for breast cancer?

According to U.S. researchers, a gene known to give many Jewish women a higher risk of cancer may also put U.S. Latina women at high risk.

They found that 3.5 percent of Hispanic women entered in a Northern California breast cancer registry had the BRCA1 genetic mutation, compared to 8.3 percent of Ashkenazic Jews and 2.2 percent of non-Ashkenazic white women.
Ashkenazis are members of the group of Jews that settled in central, northern, and later eastern Europe and developed Yiddish as their spoken language.
The BRCA1 gene mutation raises the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, with the risk of developing breast cancer by age 70 put at 65 percent, the researchers said. Women who find out they have the mutation are advised to be vigilant, and some opt for preventive chemotherapy or surgery.

I don’t know much about breast cancer genes, so if anyone wants to enlighten a bit – I’m all ears. Also, if you want to know more about breast cancer and Latina women, check out this 2007 study which showed differences in types and stages of cancer in Latina women despite equal access to care. And as always, feel free to drop knowledge in comments.