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Earlier age of onset of BRCA-related cancers in subsequent generations

September 13, 2011

Women who inherit the BRCA1/BRCA2 gene mutations develop breast cancer earlier than their ancestors, according to a study published in Cancer.  While it is well known that women with either of these mutations are at a high risk of breast and ovarian cancer at young ages, Dr. Jennifer Litton and colleagues explored earlier onset of these cancers in subsequent generations.

The researchers looked at trends in the age of diagnosis in two generations of families with a history of BRCA-related cancer.  The study cohort included 132 BRCA-positive women with breast cancer who participated in a high-risk protocol at the MD Anderson Cancer Center (Generation 2).  Of these women, 106 who could be paired with a family member in the previous generation (Generation 1) who was diagnosed with a BRCA-related cancer (either breast cancer or ovarian cancer).

The median age of cancer diagnosis was 42 years (range:  28-55 years) in the second generation and 48 years (range:  30-72 years) in the first, and this difference was statistically significant.  A model estimated that the expected age at onset went down by 7.9 years from the first generation to the second.  “Patients who are younger at the onset of BRCA-related cancers should continue to be tracked to offer appropriate screening modalities at appropriate ages,” conclude Litton and colleagues.