2011 SABCS, San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, 6-10 December, San Antonio, USA

Influence of age and BRCA status on contralateral breast cancer risk

Alexandra van den Broek – Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam

In our study we looked at breast cancer patients and their BRCA 1 and 2 mutation status, we tested all the patients for that, and we looked then at the risk of contralateral breast cancer. We were able to define subgroups of BRCA 1 and 2 mutation carriers with an increased and decreased risk for contralateral breast cancer.

We found that patients diagnosed with the first breast cancer under the age of 41 or patients diagnosed with a triple negative first breast cancer are at a higher risk to develop contralateral breast cancer. The lowest risk groups had a cumulative ten year risk of 3.5% for the patients diagnosed between the ages of 40 to 50 with non-triple negative breast cancer. The highest risk group were the carriers diagnosed with their first breast cancer under the age of 41 and they had a 26% cumulative risk.

I have to say, this study, the numbers of carriers included in this study is still small so it should be confirmed in other studies first but, when confirmed, age criteria and maybe the receptor status could be taken into account in guidelines for prophylactic measures and screening and follow-up of BRCA1 and 2 mutation carriers.