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Background: There is an increasing desire for contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) among patients with unilateral breast cancer. It is unknown if risk assessment and genetic testing at the time of diagnosis will aid women in their surgical choice. We report on the uptake and predictors of CPM in women receiving a negative genetic test result for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations before surgery., Methods: Women diagnosed with breast cancer between June 2013 and May 2018 were recruited from four academic health sciences centers in Toronto, Canada. Genetic counseling (risk assessment) and genetic testing was performed prior to surgery. Women were asked about their surgical preference before surgery. At 1 year post-surgery we asked what surgery was completed. This study reports on women who received a negative BRCA1/BRCA2 result., Results: A total of 766 women with a mean age of 46 years (range 21-82) were included in the analysis. Before genetic counseling and testing, 37% of the women were undecided or leaning towards CPM; however, after receiving a negative BRCA test, 15% of the women opted for CPM. Thirty percent of women whose mother died of breast cancer elected for CPM, compared with 15% of women whose mother did not die of breast cancer (p = 0.03)., Conclusions: Women receiving a risk assessment and negative BRCA1/BRCA2 genetic test result before surgery use this information to guide their surgical decision. Uptake of CPM for women who were planning on CPM before genetic testing decreases after receiving a negative BRCA1/BRCA2 genetic test result., (© 2021. Society of Surgical Oncology.)

Background: Up to 20% of high-grade serous ovarian carcinomas (HGSOC) are hereditary; however, historical uptake of genetic testing is low. We used a unique combination of approaches to identify women in Ontario, Canada, with a first-degree relative (FDR) who died from HGSOC without prior genetic testing, and offer them multi-gene panel testing., Methods: From May 2015-Sept 2019, genetic counseling and testing was provided to eligible participants. Two recruitment strategies were employed, including self-identification in response to an outreach campaign and direct targeting of FDRs of deceased HGSOC patients treated at our institution. The rate of pathogenic variants (PV) in established/potential ovarian cancer risk genes and the benefits/challenges of each approach were assessed., Results: A total of 564 women enrolled in response to our outreach campaign (n = 473) or direct recruitment (n = 91). Mean age at consent was 52 years and 96% did not meet provincial testing criteria. Genetic results were provided to 528 individuals from 458 families. The rate of PVs in ovarian cancer risk genes was highest when FDRs were diagnosed with HGSOC <60 years (9.4% vs. 3.9% ≥ 60y, p = 0.0160). Participants in the outreach vs. direct recruitment cohort had a similar rate of PVs; however, uptake of genetic testing (97% vs. 89%; p = 0.0036) and study completion (95% vs. 87%; p = 0.0062) rates were higher in the former. Eleven participants with pathogenic variants have completed risk-reducing gynecologic surgery, with one stage I HGSOC and two breast cancers identified., Conclusion: Overall PV rates in this large cohort were lower than expected; however, we provide evidence that genetic testing criteria in Ontario should include individuals with a deceased FDR diagnosed with HGSOC <60 years of age., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (oophorectomy) is recommended to women with a germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation before natural menopause to prevent ovarian and fallopian tube cancer. The adverse effects of early surgical menopause are well established. Although many of the side effects can be ameliorated by the use of hormone therapy (HT); use of HT in this group of predominantly young patients remains suboptimal. The goal of this study was to identify the frequency of HT use, as well as predictors of HT uptake in BRCA mutation carriers who underwent preventive oophorectomy before natural menopause., Methods: Eligible participants were identified from a longitudinal study of BRCA mutation carriers. We included premenopausal women with no personal history of cancer who underwent oophorectomy before age 50 and who had a minimum of 2 years of follow-up. Detailed information on HT use and other important variables was collected by a research questionnaire every 2 years. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate the use of HT in various subgroups., Results: A total of 793 women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation were included in this analysis. The mean age at oophorectomy was 42 years (range 28-49). Sixty-one percent of the women reported using HT after oophorectomy. Factors associated with HT use included young age at surgery, a high level of education and preventive mastectomy., Conclusions: The uptake of HT after oophorectomy in women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation varies by age, education, and surgical history. Clinician and patient awareness may lead to better utilization of HT in women who undergo oophorectomy at an early age to help mitigate the adverse effects associated with surgical menopause.

Objective: Despite guidelines recommending that all women with invasive serous ovarian cancer (SOC) are offered genetic testing, published referral and testing rates have been poor. Many centers have implemented novel genetic counseling service delivery models to increase testing rates. In light of increased awareness and implementation of small process changes at our center, this study aims to establish baseline referral rates and testing outcomes prior to diverging from the traditional model of care., Methods: A list of women diagnosed with SOC at Princess Margaret Cancer Center (PM) between 2010 and 2016 was obtained from the PM Cancer Registry and cross-referenced against the genetics database to determine referral rates and outcomes of genetic testing., Results: Of 724 women with SOC, 68% were referred for genetic counseling, with an overall testing rate of 61%. Higher referral rates were seen among women with younger ages at diagnosis and high-grade tumors. Of women tested, 22% were found to have a pathogenic variant in BRCA1/2 and 9% in another cancer gene. Notably, 24% of women with a pathogenic variant reported no family history of breast or ovarian cancer., Conclusion: Genetic counseling referral and testing rates for women with SOC are higher than previously reported, yet barriers to referral remain. To maximize genetic testing rates and address increasing patient volumes, clinics may be faced with integrating novel genetic counseling delivery models. Findings from this study may serve as a more accurate baseline to which large scale service delivery changes can be compared., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest A research grant was made available by AstraZeneca Canada Inc. to cover the cost of statistical analysis. AstraZeneca Canada Inc. was not involved in the planning, execution, analysis, or writing of this study., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Mammographic density is one of the strongest risk factors for breast cancer. In the general population, mammographic density can be modified by various exposures; whether this is true for women a strong family history is not known. Thus, we evaluated the association between reproductive, hormonal, and lifestyle risk factors and mammographic density among women with a strong family history of breast cancer but no BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation., Methods: We included 97 premenopausal and 59 postmenopausal women (age range: 27-68 years). Risk factor data was extracted from the research questionnaire closest in time to the mammogram performed nearest to enrollment. The Cumulus software was used to measure percent density, dense area, and non-dense area for each mammogram. Multivariate generalized linear models were used to evaluate the relationships between breast cancer risk factors and measures of mammographic density, adjusting for relevant covariates., Results: Among premenopausal women, those who had two live births had a mean percent density of 28.8% vs. 41.6% among women who had one live birth (P=0.04). Women with a high body weight had a lower mean percent density compared to women with a low body weight among premenopausal (17.6% vs. 33.2%; P=0.0006) and postmenopausal women (8.7% vs. 14.7%; P=0.04). Among premenopausal women, those who smoked for 14 years or longer had a lower mean dense area compared to women who smoked for a shorter duration (25.3cm 2 vs. 53.1cm 2 ; P=0.002). Among postmenopausal women, former smokers had a higher mean percent density (19.5% vs. 10.8%; P=0.003) and dense area (26.9% vs. 16.4%; P=0.01) compared to never smokers. After applying the Bonferroni correction, the association between body weight and percent density among premenopausal women remained statistically significant., Conclusions: In this cohort of women with a strong family history of breast cancer, body weight was associated with mammographic density. These findings suggest that mammographic density may explain the underlying relationship between some of these risk factors and breast cancer risk, and lend support for the inclusion of mammographic density into risk prediction models.

Purpose: Supplemental folic acid (the more bioavailable and synthetic form of folate) and breast cancer risk in BRCA mutation carriers have not been studied. We evaluated folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 supplement use, and breast cancer risk among BRCA mutation carriers., Methods: In this case-control study, dietary supplement use was collected from BRCA mutation carriers living in Canada. Supplement use was categorized as never or ever use. Total average daily supplement use was categorized as never, moderate, and high use based on tertiles. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for supplement use and breast cancer risk., Results: We included 129 breast cancer cases and 271 controls. Women who used any folic acid-containing supplement had a significantly decreased risk of breast cancer compared to women who never used a folic acid-containing supplement (OR 0.45; 95%CI 0.25, 0.79; P = 0.006). This was significant for BRCA1 mutation carriers only. The OR for moderate folic acid supplement intake was 0.39; P = 0.01, and high intake was 0.54; P = 0.09, compared to never users. Moderate vitamin B12 supplement intake was associated with decreased risk of breast cancer compared to never use (OR 0.48; 95%CI 0.24, 0.96; P = 0.04)., Conclusions: In this first investigation of folic acid supplement use and breast cancer risk in BRCA mutation carriers, these findings suggest that moderate folic acid- and vitamin B12-containing supplement use may be protective for BRCA-associated breast cancer, particularly among BRCA1 mutation carriers. Future studies with larger samples and prospective follow-up are needed.

Purpose: Mammographic density is a risk factor for breast cancer but the mechanism behind this association is unclear. The receptor activator of nuclear factor κB (RANK)/RANK ligand (RANKL) pathway has been implicated in the development of breast cancer. Given the role of RANK signaling in mammary epithelial cell proliferation, we hypothesized this pathway may also be associated with mammographic density. Osteoprotegerin (OPG), a decoy receptor for RANKL, is known to inhibit RANK signaling. Thus, it is of interest to evaluate whether OPG levels modify breast cancer risk through mammographic density., Methods: We quantified serum OPG levels in 57 premenopausal and 43 postmenopausal women using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cumulus was used to measure percent density, dense area, and non-dense area for each mammographic image. Subjects were classified into high versus low OPG levels based on the median serum OPG level in the entire cohort (115.1 pg/mL). Multivariate models were used to assess the relationship between serum OPG levels and the measures of mammographic density., Results: Serum OPG levels were not associated with mammographic density among premenopausal women (P ≥ 0.42). Among postmenopausal women, those with low serum OPG levels had higher mean percent mammographic density (20.9% vs. 13.7%; P = 0.04) and mean dense area (23.4 cm 2 vs. 15.2 cm 2 ; P = 0.02) compared to those with high serum OPG levels after covariate adjustment., Conclusions: These findings suggest that low OPG levels may be associated with high mammographic density, particularly in postmenopausal women. Targeting RANK signaling may represent a plausible, non-surgical prevention option for high-risk women with high mammographic density, especially those with low circulating OPG levels.

Purpose: Women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation are at high risk for breast cancer and must make important decisions about breast cancer prevention and screening. In the current study, we report a multisite, randomized, controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of a decision aid for breast cancer prevention in women with a BRCA mutation with no previous diagnosis of cancer., Methods: Within 1 month of receiving a positive BRCA result, women were randomized to receive either usual care (control group) or decision aid (intervention group). Participants were followed at 3, 6, and 12 months; were asked about preventive measures; and completed standardized questionnaires assessing decision making and psychosocial functioning., Results: One hundred fifty women were randomized. Mean cancer-related distress scores were significantly lower in the intervention group compared with the control group at 6 months (P = 0.01) and at 12 months postrandomization (P = 0.05). Decisional conflict scores declined over time for both groups and at no time were there statistical differences between the two groups., Conclusion: The decision aid for breast cancer prevention in women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation is effective in significantly decreasing cancer-related distress within the year following receipt of positive genetic test results.Genet Med 19 3, 330-336.

Background: B vitamins [vitamins B-6, B-9 (folate), and B-12] play important roles in nucleotide biosynthesis and biological methylation reactions, aberrancies of which have all been implicated in carcinogenesis. In the general population, evidence has suggested that high circulating folate and folic acid (synthetic form of folate) supplement use may increase breast cancer risk, but the role of folate in BRCA-associated breast cancer is not clear., Objective: We prospectively evaluated the relation between plasma folate, pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP; the biologically active form of vitamin B-6), and vitamin B-12 and breast cancer risk in women with a BRCA1/2 mutation., Design: Baseline blood samples and biennial follow-up questionnaires were available for 164 BRCA1/2-mutation carriers with no previous history of cancer other than nonmelanoma skin cancer. Plasma folate, PLP, and vitamin B-12 concentrations were categorized dichotomously as high compared with low based on the upper 25% and the lower 75% of distribution, respectively. Cox proportional hazards were used to estimate the HR and 95% CI for the association between plasma biomarkers of each B vitamin and incident breast cancer., Results: Over a mean follow-up of 6.3 y, 20 incident primary invasive breast cancers were observed. Women with high plasma folate concentrations (>24.4 ng/mL) were associated with significantly increased breast cancer risk (HR: 3.20; 95% CI: 1.03, 9.92; P = 0.04, P-trend across quintiles = 0.07) compared with that of women with low plasma folate concentrations (≤24.4 ng/mL). Plasma PLP and vitamin B-12 concentrations were not associated with breast cancer risk., Conclusions: Our data suggest that elevated plasma folate concentrations may be associated with increased risk of breast cancer in women with a BRCA1/2 mutation. Additional studies with a larger sample size and longer follow-up periods are warranted to clarify the relation between folate status and breast cancer risk in high-risk women., (© 2016 American Society for Nutrition.)

Many BRCA1 mutation carriers undergo elective surgical oophorectomy (often before menopause) to manage their elevated risk of developing ovarian cancer. It is important to clarify whether or not the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to mitigate the symptoms associated with surgical or natural menopause is safe in women with an inherited BRCA1 mutation and no personal history of breast or ovarian cancer. We conducted a case-control analysis of 432 matched pairs of women with a BRCA1 mutation. Detailed information on HRT use after menopause (duration, type, age at first/last use, formulation) was obtained from a research questionnaire administered at the time of study enrollment. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) associated with HRT use. The mean duration of HRT use after menopause was 4.3 years among the cases and 4.4 years among the controls (P = 0.83). The adjusted OR for breast cancer comparing all women who ever used HRT to those who never used HRT was 0.80 (95 % CI 0.55-1.16; P = 0.24). Findings did not differ by type of menopause (natural vs. surgical), by recency of use, by duration of use, and by formulation type. These findings suggest that a short course of HRT should not be contra-indicated for BRCA1 mutation carriers who have undergone menopause and who have no personal history of cancer.

Data has demonstrated that family history questionnaires (FHQs) are an invaluable tool for assessing familial cancer risk and triaging patients for genetic counseling services. Despite their benefits, return rates of mailed FHQs from newly referred patients remain low, suggesting potential barriers to their use. To investigate this, a total of 461 participants, 239 who completed a FHQ (responders) and 222 who did not (non-responders), were surveyed at a subsequent appointment regarding potential barriers and motivators to using the FHQ. With respective rates of 51 and 56 %, there was no significant difference in the proportion of responders and non-responders who reported difficulty in completing the FHQ; however, for both groups factors related to family dynamics (large family size, lack of contact with relatives, and lack of knowledge of family history) were reported as major variables confounding completion of the FHQ. Responders were also significantly more likely to have a personal diagnosis of cancer (p = 0.02) and to report that their physician had discussed the reason for the appointment with them (p = 0.01). Overall, 19 % of non-responders returned their FHQ after being mailed an appointment letter and 67 % attended their scheduled genetic counseling appointment. These findings demonstrate that difficulty completing the FHQ is not inherent to its design but due to difficulty accessing one's family history, and that mailed appointment letters are a highly successful way to increase attendance rates in the non-responder population. Furthermore, these results demonstrate the important role that referring physicians play in the utilization of genetic counseling services.

The role of the lifetime number of ovulatory cycles has not been evaluated in the context of BRCA-associated ovarian cancer. Thus, we conducted a matched case-control study to evaluate the relationship between the cumulative number of ovulatory cycles (and contributing components) and risk of developing ovarian cancer in BRCA mutation carriers (1,329 cases and 5,267 controls). Information regarding reproductive and hormonal factors was collected from a routinely administered questionnaire. Conditional logistic regression was used to evaluate all associations. We observed a 45% reduction in the risk of developing ovarian cancer among women in the lowest vs. highest quartile of ovulatory cycles (OR = 0.55; 95% CI 0.41-0.75, p = 0.0001). Breastfeeding for more than 12 months was associated with a 38% (95% CI 0.48-0.79) and 50% (95% CI 0.29-0.84) reduction in risk among BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, respectively. For oral contraceptive use, maximum benefit was seen with five or more years of use among BRCA1 mutation carriers (OR = 0.50; 95% CI 0.40-0.63) and three or more years for BRCA2 mutation carriers (OR = 0.42; 95% CI 0.22-0.83). Increasing parity was associated with a significant inverse trend among BRCA1 (OR = 0.87; 95% CI 0.79-0.96; p-trend = 0.005) but not BRCA2 mutation carriers (OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.81-1.19; p-trend = 0.85). A later age at menopause was associated with an increased risk in women with a BRCA1 mutation (OR trend = 1.18; 95% CI 1.03-1.35; p = 0.02). These findings support an important role of breastfeeding and oral contraceptive use for the primary prevention of ovarian cancer among women carrying BRCA mutations., (© 2014 UICC.)

Aim: To measure weight gain among unaffected women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation after undergoing an oophorectomy., Patients & Methods: We compared the bodyweight of women with (n = 405) and without an oophorectomy (n = 741) at baseline as well as the rate of weight change prior to and following surgery among 1454 BRCA mutation carriers who had an oophorectomy., Results: There was a small and non-significant difference in bodyweight between BRCA mutation carriers who had an oophorectomy compared with those women who did not (151.5 vs 149.1 pounds; p = 0.26). There was an increase in bodyweight with increasing age, but this relationship did not differ prior to and following surgery (p comparing the slope parameters = 0.78)., Conclusion: Oophorectomy is not associated with significant weight gain in high-risk women.

Women with a mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 face a lifetime risk of breast cancer of approximately 80 %. Tamoxifen treatment of the first cancer has been associated with a reduction in the risk of a subsequent contralateral cancer. We studied 1,504 women with a known BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, 411 women with bilateral breast cancer (cases) and 1,093 women with unilateral breast cancer (controls) in a matched case-control study. Control women were of similar age and had a similar age of diagnosis of first breast cancer as the cases. For each woman who used tamoxifen, the starting and stopping dates were abstracted and the duration of tamoxifen use was calculated. Three hundred and thirty-one women had used tamoxifen (22 %); of these 84 (25 %) had completed four or more years of tamoxifen, the remainder stopped prematurely or were current users. For women with up to 1 year of tamoxifen use, the odds ratio for contralateral breast cancer was 0.37 (95 % CI 0.20-0.69; p = 0.001) compared to women with no tamoxifen use. Among women with 1-4 years of tamoxifen use the odds ratio was 0.53 (95 % CI 0.32-0.87; p = 0.01). Among women with four or more years of tamoxifen use the odds ratio was 0.83 (95 % CI 0.44-1.55; p = 0.55). Short-term use of tamoxifen for chemoprevention in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers may be as effective as a conventional 5-year course of treatment.

Background: We previously reported that women from high-risk families who tested negative for a BRCA1 or BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) mutation were four times more likely to develop breast cancer compared to women in the general population. Preventive measures and risk factors for breast cancer development in these high-risk women have not been evaluated to the same extent as BRCA1/2 positive women. Further, there is virtually no scientific evidence about best practices in their management and care. The proposed study will examine a role of genetic and non-genetic factors and develop the systems and parameters for the monitoring and surveillance necessary to help establish guidelines for the care of this high-risk population., Methods/design: To achieve our goals, we will assemble and follow a Canadian cohort of 1,000 cancer-free women with a strong family history breast cancer (defined as two or more relatives affected by breast cancer under the age of 50, or three or more relatives diagnosed with breast cancer at any age from one side of the family and with no BRCA1/2 mutation in the family). All eligible participants will be mailed a study package including invitation to participate, consent form, a research questionnaire to collect data regarding family history, reproductive and lifestyle factors, as well as screening and surgery. Usual dietary intake will be assessed by a diet history questionnaire. Biological samples including toenail clippings, urine and blood samples will be collected. These women will be followed every two years by questionnaire to update exposure information, screening practices, surgical and chemoprevention, and disease development., Discussion: Findings from this study will serve to help establish clinical guidelines for the implementation of prevention, counseling, and treatment practices for women who face an elevated risk of breast cancer due to family history, but who do not carry a BRCA1/2 mutation.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to measure the impact of prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy on health-related quality of life and psychological distress in women., Methods: Women who underwent prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy between August 20, 2003 and June 26, 2008 because of a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation were invited to participate. Participants completed three questionnaires (SF-12(®) Health Survey, Brief Symptom Inventory and the Impact of Events Scale) before prophylactic surgery and again 1 year after surgery. Measures of health-related quality of life, of general psychological distress and of ovarian cancer worry before and after surgery were compared., Results: Few women who underwent salpingo-oophorectomy experienced a worsening in physical or mental health functioning after salpingo-oophorectomy. On average, women experienced less ovarian cancer-specific worry after surgery; 34.3% experienced moderate to severe ovarian cancer-specific distress before surgery, compared with 18.6% after surgery., Conclusions: For most women, physical and mental health-related quality of life did not deteriorate after prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy, and they were less worried about ovarian cancer. A subset of women continued to experience moderate to severe cancer-specific distress. Identification of these women is important in order to provide continued counseling and support., (Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

It is well known that early-onset breast cancer may be due to an inherited predisposition. When evaluating women diagnosed with breast cancer under age 30, two important syndromes are typically considered: Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome and Li-Fraumeni syndrome. Many women are offered genetic testing for mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes; however, few are offered genetic testing for mutations in the TP53 gene. There is a concern that overly restrictive testing of TP53 may fail to recognize families with Li-Fraumeni syndrome. We reviewed the genetic test results and family histories of all women with early-onset breast cancer who had genetic testing of the TP53 gene at the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children. Of the 28 women tested, six (33.3 %) had a mutation in the TP53 gene; a mutation was found in 7.7 % of women who did not meet current criteria for Li-Fraumeni syndrome. By reviewing similar data published between 2000 and 2011, we estimate that 5-8 % of women diagnosed with early-onset breast cancer, and who have a negative family history, may have a mutation in the TP53 gene. Given the potential benefits versus harms of this testing, we discuss the option of simultaneous testing of all three genes (BRCA1, BRCA2, and TP53) for women diagnosed with breast cancer before age 30.

Background: To evaluate the effect of the cumulative number of ovulatory cycles and its contributing components on the risk of breast cancer among BRCA mutation carriers., Methods: We conducted a matched case-control study on 2,854 pairs of women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the association between the number of ovulatory cycles and various exposures and the risk of breast cancer. Information from a subset of these women enrolled in a prospective cohort study was used to calculate age-specific breast cancer rates., Results: The annual risk of breast cancer decreased with the number of ovulatory cycles experienced (ρ = -0.69; P = 0.03). Age at menarche and duration of breastfeeding were inversely related with risk of breast cancer among BRCA1 (P(trend) < 0.0001) but not among BRCA2 (P(trend) ≥ 0.28) mutation carriers. The reduction in breast cancer risk associated with surgical menopause [OR, 0.52; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.40-0.66; P(trend) < 0.0001] was greater than that associated with natural menopause (OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.62-1.07; P(trend) = 0.14). There was a highly significant reduction in breast cancer risk among women who had an oophorectomy after natural menopause (OR, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.02-0.54; P = 0.006)., Conclusions: These data challenge the hypothesis that breast cancer risk can be predicted by the lifetime number of ovulatory cycles in women with a BRCA mutation. Both pre- and postmenopausal oophorectomy protect against breast cancer., Impact: Understanding the basis for the protective effect of oophorectomy has important implications for chemoprevention., (©2012 AACR)

Introduction: Breastfeeding has been inversely related to breast cancer risk in the general population. Clarifying the role of breastfeeding among women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation may be helpful for risk assessment and for recommendations regarding prevention. We present an updated analysis of breastfeeding and risk of breast cancer using a large matched sample of BRCA mutation carriers., Methods: We conducted a case-control study of 1,665 pairs of women with a deleterious mutation in either BRCA1 (n = 1,243 pairs) or BRCA2 (n = 422 pairs). Breast cancer cases and unaffected controls were matched on year of birth, mutation status, country of residence and parity. Information about reproductive factors, including breastfeeding for each live birth, was collected from a routinely administered questionnaire. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the association between ever having breastfed, as well as total duration of breastfeeding, and the risk of breast cancer., Results: Among BRCA1 mutation carriers, breastfeeding for at least one year was associated with a 32% reduction in risk (OR = 0.68; 95% CI 0.52 to 0.91; P = 0.008); breastfeeding for two or more years conferred a greater reduction in risk (OR = 0.51; 95% CI 0.35 to 0.74). Among BRCA2 mutation carriers, there was no significant association between breastfeeding for at least one year and breast cancer risk (OR = 0.83; 95% CI 0.53 to 1.31; P = 0.43)., Conclusions: These data extend our previous findings that breastfeeding protects against BRCA1-, but not BRCA2-associated breast cancer. BRCA mutation carriers should be advised of the benefit of breastfeeding in terms of reducing breast cancer risk.

The use of mailed family history questionnaires (FHQs) has previously been established to be an effective method for obtaining family history information for the triage of patients for genetic counseling and genetic testing of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome; yet only 53% of patients complete their FHQ within 6 months from the date of mailing (Armel et al. Journal of Genetic Counseling, 18(4):366-378, 2009). Although literature exists evaluating why women may not attend genetic counseling, no data are currently available examining genetic risk or genetic testing eligibility in the population of patients not returning their FHQ (non-responders). Concern exists that if non-responders are not followed-up for the purpose of triage for genetic counseling, individuals at high-risk for a hereditary cancer syndrome may be missed. This article explores the demographics of the non-responder population to assess genetic risk estimates for mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes and genetic testing eligibility as compared to a responder population of patients who completed a mailed FHQ. A total of 430 pedigrees were obtained, 215 from non-responders and 215 from responders. Results of this study indicate that 69% of non-responders were either unreachable by telephone (42%), declined an appointment (19%), or were previously seen in another center for a genetic counseling visit (8%). Additionally, results indicate that non-responders are less likely to be eligible for genetic testing (40%) as compared to responders (57%) (p = 0.0004). Together these data shed light on a population of patients for which limited information exists and suggest that we question how and to what extent clinics should pursue non-responders, particularly in light of global reductions in health care funding.

The number of individuals receiving genetic counseling for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome has steadily risen. To triage patients for genetic counseling and to help reduce the amount of time needed by a genetic counselor in direct patient contact, many clinics have implemented the use of family history questionnaires. Although such questionnaires are widely used, scant literature exists evaluating their effectiveness. This article explores the extent to which family history questionnaires are being used in Ontario and addresses the utility of such questionnaires in one familial cancer clinic. By comparing the pedigrees created from questionnaires to those updated during genetic counseling, the accuracy and effectiveness of the questionnaires was explored. Of 121 families recruited into the study, 12% acquired changes to their pedigree that led to a revised probability estimate for having a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation and 5% acquired changes that altered their eligibility for genetic testing. No statistically significant difference existed between the eligibility for genetic testing prior to and post counseling. This suggests that family history questionnaires can be effective at obtaining a family history and accurately assessing eligibility for genetic testing. Based on the variables that were significantly associated with a change in probability estimate, we further present recommendations for improving the clarity of such questionnaires and therefore the ease of use by patients.