A study found that among women with a certain type of high-grade ovarian cancer, having BRCA2 genetic mutations, but not BRCA1, was associated with improved overall survival and better response to chemotherapy compared to a reference group.
In background information in the article, which appeared in the Oct. 12 issue of JAMA, the researchers noted that women with BRCA1 mutations have a 39% to 54% cumulative lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer, and women with BRCA2 mutations have an 11% to 23% risk. Conflicting data have existed regarding the outcome of BRCA-deficient patients after ovarian cancer develops.
Da Yang, PhD, of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and colleagues evaluated the association between BRCA1/2 deficiencies in ovarian cancer and patient overall survival and progression-free survival rates and chemotherapy response. The observational study included multidimensional genomics and clinical data on 316 high-grade serous ovarian cancer cases that were made public between 2009 and 2010 through The Cancer Genome Atlas project. Patients with both types of mutations did not differ significantly from each other with respect to tumor stage, grade or histologic type, but patients with BRCA1 mutations were younger at diagnosis (35 cases with an average age of 56) than were those with wild-type BRCA (219 cases with an average age of 62) or BRCA2 mutation (27 cases with an average age of 61).
The researchers found that the five-year survival rate of BRCA2 mutation carriers was 61%, which was significantly higher than that of wild-type BRCA cases (25%). BRCA2 mutation carriers had significantly longer progression-free survival durations than did wild-type BRCA carriers; no difference was found for BRCA1 mutation carriers. A direct comparison between BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers indicated significant difference in progression-free survival: 44% of BRCA2-mutated cases remained progression free for three years after surgical resection compared with only 22% of BRCA1-mutated cases.
"Moreover, BRCA2 mutations were associated with a significantly higher primary chemotherapy sensitivity rate and longer platinum-free duration," the authors wrote. "The discovery that BRCA1 and BRCA2 deficiencies are associated with differential effects on patient survival and chemotherapy response in ovarian cancer may have important implications for clinical prediction and trial design and sheds new light on the function of these two genes."
To read a study summary, visit http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/306/14/1557.short
In background information in the article, which appeared in the Oct. 12 issue of JAMA, the researchers noted that women with BRCA1 mutations have a 39% to 54% cumulative lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer, and women with BRCA2 mutations have an 11% to 23% risk. Conflicting data have existed regarding the outcome of BRCA-deficient patients after ovarian cancer develops.
Da Yang, PhD, of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and colleagues evaluated the association between BRCA1/2 deficiencies in ovarian cancer and patient overall survival and progression-free survival rates and chemotherapy response. The observational study included multidimensional genomics and clinical data on 316 high-grade serous ovarian cancer cases that were made public between 2009 and 2010 through The Cancer Genome Atlas project. Patients with both types of mutations did not differ significantly from each other with respect to tumor stage, grade or histologic type, but patients with BRCA1 mutations were younger at diagnosis (35 cases with an average age of 56) than were those with wild-type BRCA (219 cases with an average age of 62) or BRCA2 mutation (27 cases with an average age of 61).
The researchers found that the five-year survival rate of BRCA2 mutation carriers was 61%, which was significantly higher than that of wild-type BRCA cases (25%). BRCA2 mutation carriers had significantly longer progression-free survival durations than did wild-type BRCA carriers; no difference was found for BRCA1 mutation carriers. A direct comparison between BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers indicated significant difference in progression-free survival: 44% of BRCA2-mutated cases remained progression free for three years after surgical resection compared with only 22% of BRCA1-mutated cases.
"Moreover, BRCA2 mutations were associated with a significantly higher primary chemotherapy sensitivity rate and longer platinum-free duration," the authors wrote. "The discovery that BRCA1 and BRCA2 deficiencies are associated with differential effects on patient survival and chemotherapy response in ovarian cancer may have important implications for clinical prediction and trial design and sheds new light on the function of these two genes."
To read a study summary, visit http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/306/14/1557.short
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