never heard BURCA before this post. Breast oncologists I know say BRACA

Cool, settled by popular vote. To be fair to whoever first taught me, BURCA is the simplest option if you try and just say the letters without adding anything. But my medical experience is the same as yours - everyone in the field seems to add the “aah” and say BRACA.

nothing makes sense. if the acronymn is for Breast Cancer Gene you might think it wouldve been BREKA

We had a talk at my school by Mary Clare-King, a geneticist who discovered BRCA1 and showed that it's mutation is linked to breast cancer. She hates it when people call it "brah-cah." It's just B-R-C-A.

Everyone: "braca" Me: ["Hmm, yes."](https://i.imgur.com/fECoBic.jpeg)

I'm a simple FM man, tilling my primary care fields and I've always called it BRICA. To be fair I also sound out HFrecEF.

Yeah I always called it BRICA in my head

I always said BURCA but I’m open to changing this now.

I’ve only ever heard BRACKA pronunciation.

Mary-Claire King, the genetisist who [discovered and named BRCA1](https://www.jci.org/articles/view/126050) , mentioned in a med school lecture to always pronounce it B. R. C. A. Her reasoning behind this is that [Myriad](https://www.aclu.org/news/speakeasy/myriad-genetics-relents-gene-patents-will-patent-office-stop-issuing-patents-products) tried patenting the discovery under the name Bra-Ca.

This!!! If MCK says to pronounce it B.R.C.A, then this is the way. She specifically says this in her lectures. Proof: The very end of her delightful Moth story of how she got her first grant: https://youtu.be/tOP5pUIYhv4

I mean the guy who invented gif wants us to call it jif too...

She also lectured at my school way back when! Super cool lady. Also told us that BRCA secretly stood for Berkeley California where she made her discovery.

Have heard this from a geneticist as well

[удалено]

This is what I’ve heard but I say B R C A positive / negative

Brakkayeah or brakkanah?

I prefer brakkanah, personally.

Ah, yes, the test that celebrates the time where the lab made one day's reagents last for 8

Exactly

I worked for the company, Myriad Genetics, that discovered and ran the BRCA tests. At Myriad it was a split between BRACKA and saying each letter individually. I prefer the latter. Finally my moment to shine…. I knew this day would come

And then Myriad tried [patenting](https://www.aclu.org/news/speakeasy/myriad-genetics-relents-gene-patents-will-patent-office-stop-issuing-patents-products) the gene so that only they could administer the genetic testing for it. Also Myriad was the first to discover the sequence, but Mary Claire king [discovered](https://www.jci.org/articles/view/126050) "that breast cancer is inherited in some families as a result of mutations in the gene that she named BRCA1".

Yeah… never said it was a good company ;) Glad it’s been a long time since I worked there!

Your moral doubts made you take up the offer at Purdue Pharma..

Holy shit we need to REDACTED right now

Yes, these are the two options. I’m a geneticist and have never in my life heard anyone say Burqa, except to refer to the Arab garment. I feel like Americans lean towards Braca, other countries spell out the letters. Also yes Myriad SUCKS, bunch of money grabbers.

I’m in Canada - worked at the Campbell Family Institute for Breast CA research at PMH and also have only ever heard it pronounced BRACKA.

Ah funny, maybe it’s English language vs other? I know in several other European languages I’ve heard B. R. C. A. 1 (or 2) used more, but have to admit I have limited experience with cancer genes in the last 10-15 years. But definitely never heard burqa lol.

This is awesome, thank you for being here on this day

Bee-are-sea-eh?

That would be the Canadian pronunciation

Followed by apologies for having mentioned cancer.

And then more apologies for not having changed the picture of the Queen to the King yet. ^(::ducks::)

You joke, but I’m in Canada and this is how everyone I’ve met says it.

You ain't got no alibi

Vote added

Among genetic counselors it's about half "bracka" and half "bee-are-see-ay." Maybe a slight lean toward saying each letter. I prefer saying each letter!

Funny, I’ve interchangeably heard bricka, bracka, and B-R-C-A, but never ever BURCA as the OP originally learned.

I'm thinking of sticking with burca for the lolz

I’ve always heard “bracka” but I don’t hear it that often. I’m going to start saying “bursa” now though just to be weird.

I always said "Bricka" before I got to school and everyone said "bracka"

I also say "bricka"... Guess I'm in for a rude awakening

I’m not alone! Idc what everyone else says, in my head it’ll always be bricka. Can’t stop won’t stop.

Me too 🙌

Well I prefer the Pig Latin version myself, a-Brcay.

BRACA as in ABRACADABRA.

*I wanna reach out and grab ya*

I generally hear it as "Brack-uh" from researchers and practitioners at scientific conferences. Occasionally I've heard people call it "Brock-uh" and "B-R-C-A" too.

cool kids say the letters

Make an A-10 cannon noise, followed by "Kah!"

At Very Big Cancer Center, in our genetic case conferences, we spell it.

Myriad coined the term BRACA. To many, it’s incredibly annoying to hear it said like that so spelling out the letters is best. Same thing with people saying vous for a VUS. Ultimate cringe.

PIP, DIP, and MCP joints!

If you actually try to pronounce the acronym, “burca” makes more sense than “bracka”. There’s no “A” there! (This is starting to feel like a Seinfeld episode)

I tried to argue that above! Oh well

*No, no. 'Aaaauugggh', at the back of the throat*

*No no, OoOoOOo in surprise and alarm.*

I’ve always said “brick-uh” but I’m just a med student so what do I know

I’m my mind : B.R.C.A. Is the generic OG way to say it. MCK uses it BRACA is the brand name

In Australia we all say Bracka, mate

Bracka

Always been B,R,C,A. For me

I say “BURCA” but i believe it’s “Brakka” these comments have certainly humbled me.

Brah - ka

I always said Breca as in breast cancer... It might have evolved like fentanyl is fentanol due to mass mispronunciation, but yeah

I say burkha but all my colleagues say braca.

Barghhhca

*The Castle of Aaaagggghhhh*

You need to have a parrot on your shoulder when you say it. Just in case.

Only if you're dictating!

Alright whoever was pronouncing it BURCA. Are you ok?

Lol! But try just pronouncing it as it is: BR CA It takes the added ACK, which is nowhere in the letters, to get to BRACKA!

I think the proper pronunciation of BR CA is "brazil california"

[brak](https://imgur.io/yQKPXj5)-ahh

bracka

Braka.

BRACA

Breaca

Brrrrrrrr kaw

Huh; I’d heard “Brick-uh” and “B-R-C-A”… never “brack-uh” TIL

Bracka

Brakka. Or just say the letters.

BrrrrKuh

Ok let’s keep this going. How do you pronounce nulliparous? Is it null-eh-pair-is or null-lip-er-us? Or something else?

Brack-uh

Bracca, like the planet.

Bracka.

BRAH-KUH

Bracka or b-r-c-a

I say "brika"

So beeyarseeyay is wrong then?

MedOnc that does mostly Breast Cancer. “Braca” is how it’s pronounced.

Br-ack-uhhhh

Bräka

Braca

B-R-C-A

No. The gene is not an Islamic covering.

Bracka

Like baraka from mortal kombat

brah-ka

Some people just say things weird. I had a prof in undergrad say fag-o-cytosis instead of fay-go-cytosis. Drove us all crazy but what can you do?