title: Treatment related toxicity in BRCA1-associated epithelial ovarian cancer - is DNA repairing impairment associated with more adverse events?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The presence of BRCA germline mutations in patients with ovarian cancer has been shown to have predictive and prognostic significance, including increased platinum-sensitivity. The aim of the study was to evaluate if patients with BRCA1-associated ovarian cancer have more treatment related adverse events and, if so, does it have impact on chemotherapy outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective analysis of medical records of 172 patients with newly diagnosed epithelial ovarian cancer, treated in Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Gliwice Branch between 2007 and 2013. Ninety-six of these patients have known BRCA mutation status - 21 patients were BRCA1(+) and 75 BRCA1(-). Analysed treatment related adverse events (AE's) were: haematological toxicity, nausea/vomiting, neuropathy and mucositis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Grade 3-4 haematological AE's were significantly more common among BRCA1(+) patients (OR = 3.86; 95% CI: 1.14-13.23;p= 0.02). There was no association between BRCA1 mutation status and neuropathy (p= 0.73) or nausea/vomiting (p= 0.91). Occurrence of above mentioned AE's has no significant association with PFS (p= 0.75, 0.64, 0.97 respectively) and OS (p= 0.64, 0.69, 0.73 respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among patients with BRCA1-associated epithelial ovarian cancer we observed significantly more grade 3-4 haematological complications after chemotherapy. However, occurrence of AE's did not correlate with better outcomes in this subgroup.
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Experimental Oncology Department, Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Gliwice Branch, Poland.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Badora-Rybicka
authors.affiliation: Genetic Outpatient Clinic, Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Gliwice Branch, Poland.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Budryk
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Experimental Oncology Department, Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Gliwice Branch, Poland.
authors.forename: Elżbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nowara
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Experimental Oncology Department, Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Gliwice Branch, Poland.
authors.forename: Danuta
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Starzyczny-Słota
keywords: BRCA1; adverse events; ovarian cancer