PALB2 gene

When functioning normally, this gene partners with BRCA1 and BRCA2 to repair DNA so that cells can overcome DNA damage and continue to grow. But cells with inherited mutations in PALB2 cannot repair damaged DNA and pose an elevated risk of cancer. PALB2 is the third most commonly mutated gene after BRCA1 and BRCA2. About 75 percent of breast cancers associated with this mutation are estrogen receptor–positive and about 20 percent are triple-negative.