Breast Cancer Prognosis in BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutation Carriers

To compare breast cancer prognosis in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers with that in patients with sporadic disease, an international prospective breast cancer population-based cohort study was performed within 3 regions including Canada, U.S.A and Australia with a total population of 3,220 women. They found out that mutation carriers tend to have more aggressive tumors, and risk of distant recurrence and death was significantly higher in BRCA2 mutation carriers. BRCA mutation carriers diagnosed with breast cancer treated with standard adjuvant treatment may fare as well as those lacking BRCA mutations. Due to relatively small numbers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers and small number of events that occurred in these carriers, the results of this study should be interpreted cautiously.

Original article: Goodwin et al (2012) Breast Cancer Prognosis in BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutation Carriers: An International Prospective Breast Cancer Family Registry Population-Based Cohort Study. J Clin Oncol. Jan 1;30(1):19-26. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2010.33.0068