Favourable ten-year overall survival in a Caucasian population with high probability of hereditary breast cancer.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of our study was to compare differences in the prognosis of breast cancer (BC) patients at high (H) risk or intermediate slightly (IS) increased risk based on family history and those without a family history of BC, and to evaluate whether ten-year overall survival can be considered a good indicator of BRCA1 gene mutation.


METHODS
We classified 5923 breast cancer patients registered between 1988 and 2006 at the Department of Oncology and Haematology in Modena, Italy, into one of three different risk categories according to Modena criteria. One thousand eleven patients at H and IS increased risk were tested for BRCA1/2 mutations. The overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) were the study end-points.


RESULTS
Eighty BRCA1 carriers were identified. A statistically significantly better prognosis was observed for patients belonging to the H risk category with respect to women in the IS and sporadic groups (82% vs.75% vs.73%, respectively; p < 0.0001). Comparing only BRCA1 carriers with BRCA-negative and sporadic BC (77% vs.77% vs.73%, respectively; p < 0.001) an advantage in OS was seen.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients belonging to a population with a high probability of being BRCA1 carriers had a better prognosis than those with sporadic BC. Considering these results, women who previously had BC and had survived ten years could be selected for BRCA1 analysis among family members at high risk of hereditary BC during genetic counselling. Since only 30% of patients with a high probability of having hereditary BC have BRCA1 mutations, selecting women with a long term survival among this population could increase the rate of positive analyses, avoiding the use of expensive tests.
Cortesi
Laura
L
Department of Oncology and Haematology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy. hbc@unimo.it
Masini
Cristina
C
Cirilli
Claudia
C
Medici
Veronica
V
Marchi
Isabella
I
Cavazzini
Giovanna
G
Pasini
Giuseppe
G
Turchetti
Daniela
D
Federico
Massimo
M
D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D019398:Genes, BRCA1; D024522:Genes, BRCA2; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D015996:Survival Rate; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics*