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Oophorectomy reduced risk for contralateral breast cancer in young women with BRCA mutation

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2010 ASCO Breast Cancer Symposium

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Women younger than 50 with a BRCA mutation who underwent oophorectomy had a reduced risk for contralateral breast cancer, according to results presented Friday during the 2010 Breast Cancer Symposium.

The surgery had no such effect for older women.

Risk for contralateral breast cancer was highest for women younger than 50 who have two or more first-degree relatives diagnosed with breast cancer, said Kelly A. Metcalfe, PhD, associate professor at the faculty of nursing with the University of Toronto. She added that oophorectomy could significantly reduce the risk for these women.

“Risk can be modified, especially by use of oophorectomy in women under 50, the risk can be reduced by 50%,” Metcalfe said. “If the woman is a BRCA1 carrier, the risk is reduced by 48%.”

Metcalfe et al wanted to estimate the risk of contralateral breast cancer in BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers and to determine which host and treatment factors are predictive of the risk of contralateral breast cancer. To do so, they evaluated 722 women who were diagnosed with stage I or stage II disease between 1975 and 2008. Researchers identified BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation in patients’ families, and patients had not received bilateral mastectomy as their initial treatment.

Patients were followed from the initial diagnosis until contralateral mastectomy, contralateral breast cancer, death or last follow-up. After a mean follow-up time of 11.1 years, 21% of patients developed contralateral breast cancer.

Researchers determined that the 15-year actuarial risk for contralateral breast cancer was 33.8% (95% CI, 28.6%-39.0%).

Among women diagnosed with their first cancer at age 50 or younger, the risk for contralateral breast cancer decreased with oophorectomy (RR=0.41; 95% CI, 0.24-0.70). Researchers did not observe a similar effect for oophorectomy in women aged 50 and older (RR 0.75; 95%CI, 0.27-2.11). – by Jason Harris

For more information:

• Metcalfe KA. #159. Presented at: the 2010 Breast Cancer Symposium; Oct. 1-3, 2010; National Harbor, Md.

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