To determine the incidence of breast cancer (BC) in BRCA mutation carriers (BRCA+) after ovarian cancer (OC) diagnosis, and to re-evaluate BC surveillance in BRCA+ with OC.
A consecutive chart review, from 2000 to 2017, of OC patients at three medical centers: one in the USA and two in Israel. Clinical data collected included demographics, BRCA mutation types, timing of BC diagnosis (before or after OC diagnosis) and family history of cancer.
Analysis revealed 284 BRCA+ with a median age at diagnosis of 55 years (range, 31.3-90) and median follow-up of 59.5 months (6-92); 209 patients were BRCA1 (73.5%) and 75 were BRCA2 (26.5%). The most common mutation was 185delAG (30.7%). Thirty-six patients (12.7%) were diagnosed with BC before OC. Fifty-four patients (20.5%) had a family history of BC and 187 (65%) were Ashkenazi Jews. Only 11 patients (3.89%) developed BC after OC diagnosis. Median time to BC after OC diagnosis was 109 months (29-93). There was a non-significant increase in BC after OC, and in BC prior to OC diagnosis, but there was no correlation of BC with family history.
The incidence of BC after OC diagnosis in the BRCA+ population was lower than expected. This finding may be attributed the high rate of OC mortality prior to BC development, OC chemotherapy treatment, or BC and OC clustering in families. Prophylactic bilateral mastectomy and/or MRI breast surveillance should be re-evaluated in this population and is possibly needed only in long survivors. Further investigation is warranted.
Local IRB.
Has not received any funding.
All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.