title: Acute chemotherapy-related toxicity is not increased in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers treated for breast cancer in the United Kingdom.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate acute toxicity induced by chemotherapy for breast cancer in a retrospective study of 62 BRCA1/2 mutation carriers matched 1:1 with women who had treatment for sporadic disease in the United Kingdom between 1983 and 2003.
  
  
  METHODS
  All participants were interviewed by one of two researchers using standardized questionnaires, and their medical records were reviewed by one research nurse. The two main regimens received were cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil and fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide. The proportion of cases and controls receiving anthracycline-based treatment was equivalent, but fewer BRCA1 cases received this treatment than did BRCA2 mutation carriers. Toxicity was documented using the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Common Toxicity Criteria for hematologic, infective, and gastrointestinal toxicities. No increase in toxicity was seen in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The only significant difference was that neutropenia was less evident in BRCA2 mutation carriers than in either BRCA1 mutation carriers or controls. As a result, there was no requirement for dose reduction among BRCA2 mutation carriers, in contrast to 10 of 39 BRCA1 carriers and 16 of 62 controls (P = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This result has implications for therapy and indicates that women with mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 may be given the same doses of chemotherapy as noncarriers.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Sutton, UK. shanleysusan@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shanley
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McReynolds
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ardern-Jones
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ahern
authors.forename: Indrajit
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fernando
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yarnold
authors.forename: Gareth
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Eccles
authors.forename: Shirley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hodgson
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ashley
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ashcroft
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tutt
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bancroft
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Short
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gui
authors.forename: Lester
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barr
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baildam
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Howell
authors.forename: Gavin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Royle
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pierce
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Easton
authors.forename: Rosalind
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eeles
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019398:Genes, BRCA1; D024522:Genes, BRCA2; D018095:Germ-Line Mutation; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011878:Radiotherapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology