Accurate estimations of lifetime risks of breast and ovarian cancer are crucial for counselling women from BRCA1/2 families. We therefore determined breast and ovarian cancer penetrance in BRCA1/2 ...mutation families in the northern Netherlands and compared them with the incidence of cancers in the general population in this region. We identified 1188 female mutation carriers and first-degree female relatives in 185 families with a pathogenic BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. The occurrence of breast cancer, contralateral breast cancer and ovarian cancer was recorded. The cumulative incidence of breast cancer by age 70 was 71.4% (95% CI 67.2-82.4%) in BRCA1 and 87.5% (82.4-92.6%) in BRCA2 mutation carriers. For ovarian cancer at age 70, it was 58.9% (53.5-64.3%) in BRCA1 and 34.5% (25.0-44.0%) in BRCA2 mutation carriers. For breast cancer we saw a rise of 24.2% in the cumulative incidence in the seventh decade for BRCA2 mutation carriers versus 6.3% for BRCA1. For ovarian cancer the rise in the seventh decade was 17.3% for BRCA1 mutation carriers and 15.1% for BRCA2. The 10-year risk for contralateral breast cancer was 34.2% (29.4-39.0%) in BRCA1 families and 29.2% (22.9-35.5%) in BRCA2. We show that the incidence of breast and ovarian cancer in BRCA2 mutation carriers and of ovarian cancer in BRCA1 mutation carriers is still high after 60 years. This may justify intensive breast screening as well as oophorectomy even after age 60. The risk of contralateral breast cancer rises approximately 3% per year, which may affect preventive choices.
Abstract Objective To determine the prevalence, localisation and type of occult (non)invasive cancer in risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) specimens in BRCA -mutation carriers and high-risk ...women from BRCA -negative families. Methods A consecutive series of RRSO specimens of asymptomatic, screen-negative high-risk women were prospectively collected in our tertiary multidisciplinary cancer clinic from January 2000 until March 2012. All high-risk women in this study underwent genetic testing on BRCA -mutations. The surgico-pathological protocol comprised complete resection of ovaries and fallopian tubes, transverse sectioning at 2–3 mm (sectioning and extensively examining the fimbrial end SEE-FIM protocol from 2006) and double independent pathology review of morphologically deviant sections. Results Three hundred and sixty RRSOs were performed in 188 BRCA1- carriers, 115 BRCA2 -carriers and 57 BRCA -negative women at a median age of 44.0 years. Four occult invasive cancers were detected in BRCA -carriers (1.3%, 95%-confidence interval (CI) 0.03–2.61), all in BRCA1 -carriers >40 years of age. All cancers, of which two tubal and two ovarian cancers, were FIGO-stage I/II. Three non-invasive serous intraepithelial carcinomas (STICs) were detected in BRCA -carriers (1.0%, 95%-CI 0.00–2.10). In BRCA -negative women one STIC was found (1.8%, 95%-CI 0.00–5.16), however she carried an unclassified variant in BRCA2 . Total follow-up after RRSO was 1691 woman-years, in which one BRCA1 -carrier developed peritoneal cancer (0.3%, 95%-CI 0.00–0.82). Conclusions A low prevalence of occult invasive cancer (1.1%) was found in young asymptomatic, screen-negative women at increased ovarian cancer risk undergoing RRSO. This study adds to the advice to perform RRSO in BRCA1 -carriers before the age of 40. Our findings support the hypothesis of the fallopian tube as the primary site of origin of pelvic high-grade serous cancer.
Summary Background The standard surgery for early-stage endometrial cancer is total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH) and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, which is associated with substantial morbidity. ...Total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy is less invasive and is assumed to be associated with lower morbidity, particularly in obese women. This study investigated the complication rate of TLH versus TAH in women with early-stage endometrial cancer. Methods This randomised trial was done in 21 hospitals in the Netherlands, and 26 gynaecologists with proven sufficient skills in TLH participated. 283 patients with stage I endometrioid adenocarcinoma or complex atypical hyperplasia were randomly allocated (2:1) to the intervention group (TLH, n=187) or control group (TAH, n=96). Randomisation by sequential number generation was done centrally in alternate blocks of six and three participants, with stratification by trial centre. After assignment, the study coordinators, patients, gynaecologists, and members of the panel were not masked to intervention. The primary outcome was major complication rate, assessed by an independent panel. Data were analysed by a modified intention-to-treat analysis, since two patients in both groups were excluded from the main analysis. This trial is registered with the Dutch trial registry , number NTR821. Findings The proportion of major complications was 14·6% (27 of 185) in the TLH group versus 14·9% (14 of 94) in the TAH group, with a difference of −0·3% (95% CI −9·1 to 8·5; p=0·95). The proportion of patients with an intraoperative major complication (nine of 279 3·2%) was lower than the proportion with a postoperative major complication (32 of 279 11·5%) and did not differ between TLH (five of 185 2·7%) and TAH (four of 94 4·3%; p=0·49). The proportion of patients with a minor complication was 13·0% (24 of 185) in the TLH group and 11·7% (11 of 94) in the TAH group (p=0·76). Conversion to laparotomy occurred in 10·8% (20 of 185) of the laparoscopic procedures. TLH was associated with significantly less blood loss (p<0·0001), less use of pain medication (p<0·0001), a shorter hospital stay (p<0·0001), and a faster recovery (p=0·002), but the procedure took longer than TAH (p<0·0001). Interpretation Our results showed no evidence of a benefit for TLH over TAH in terms of major complications, but TLH (done by skilled surgeons) was beneficial in terms of a shorter hospital stay, less pain, and quicker resumption of daily activities. Funding The Dutch Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw), programme efficacy.
Abstract Introduction Intraepithelial CD8+ tumour-infiltrating T-lymphocytes (TIL) are associated with a prolonged survival in endometrial cancer (EC). By contrast, stromal infiltration of CD8+ TIL ...does not confer prognostic benefit. A single marker to discriminate these populations would therefore be of interest for rapid assessment of the tumour immune contexture, ex vivo analysis of intraepithelial and stromal T-cells on a functional level and/or adoptive T-cell transfer. Here we determined whether CD103, the αE subunit of the αEβ7integrin, can be used to specifically discriminate the epithelial and stromal CD8+ TIL populations in EC. Methods CD103+ TIL were quantified in a cohort of 305 EC patients by immunohistochemistry. Localization of CD103+ cells and co-expression of CD103 with CD3, CD8, CD16 and FoxP3 were assessed by immunofluorescence. Further phenotyping of CD103+ cells was performed by flow cytometry on primary endometrial tumour digests. Results CD8+CD103+ cells were preferentially located in endometrial tumour epithelium, whereas CD8+CD103− cells were located in stroma. CD103+ lymphocytes were predominantly CD3+CD8+ T-cells and expressed PD1. The presence of a high CD103+ cell infiltration was associated with an improved prognosis in patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma (p = 0.035). Moreover, this beneficial effect was particularly evident in high-risk adenocarcinoma patients (p = 0.031). Conclusions Because of the restricted expression on intraepithelial CD8+ T-cells, CD103 may be a suitable biomarker for rapid assessment of immune infiltration of epithelial cancers. Furthermore, this intraepithelial tumour-reactive subset might be an interesting T-cell subset for adoptive T-cell transfer and/or target for checkpoint inhibition therapy.
Risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) reduces ovarian cancer risk in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers. Premenopausal RRSO is hypothesized to increase fracture risk more than natural menopause. Elevated ...bone turnover markers (BTMs) might predict fracture risk. We investigated BTM levels after RRSO and aimed to identify clinical characteristics associated with elevated BTMs.
Osteocalcin (OC), procollagen type I N-terminal peptide (PINP) and serum C-telopeptide of type I collagen (sCTx) were measured in 210 women ≥ 2 years after RRSO before age 53. BTM Z-scores were calculated using an existing reference cohort of age-matched women. Clinical characteristics were assessed by questionnaire.
BTMs after RRSO were higher than age-matched reference values: median Z-scores OC 0.11, p = 0.003; PINP 0.84, p < 0.001; sCTx 0.53, p < 0.001 (compared to Z = 0). After excluding women with recent fractures or BTM interfering medication, Z-scores increased to 0.34, 1.14 and 0.88, respectively. Z-scores for OC and PINP were inversely correlated to age at RRSO. No correlation was found with fracture incidence or history of breast cancer.
Five years after RRSO, BTMs were higher than age-matched reference values. Since elevated BTMs might predict higher fracture risk, prospective studies are required to evaluate the clinical implications of this finding.
Germline BRCA1/2-associated epithelial ovarian cancer has been associated with better progression-free survival and overall survival than sporadic epithelial ovarian cancer, but conclusive data are ...lacking. We matched 389 BRCA1-associated and 123 BRCA2-associated epithelial ovarian cancer patients 1:1 to sporadic epithelial ovarian cancer patients on year of birth, year of diagnosis, and FIGO stage ( = IIB). Germline DNA test was performed before or after epithelial ovarian cancer diagnosis. All patients received chemotherapy. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate the associations between mutation status (BRCA1 or BRCA2 versus sporadic) and progression-free survival and overall survival. To investigate whether DNA testing after epithelial ovarian cancer diagnosis resulted in survival bias, we performed additional analyses limited to BRCA1/2-associated epithelial ovarian cancer patients with a DNA test result before cancer diagnosis (n = 73 BRCA1; n = 9 BRCA2) and their matched sporadic controls. The median follow-up was 4.4 years (range 0.1-30.1). During the first three years after epithelial ovarian cancer diagnosis, progression-free survival was better for BRCA1 (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.74-1.04) and BRCA2 (HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.41-0.81) patients than for sporadic patients. Overall survival was better during the first six years after epithelial ovarian cancer for BRCA1 (HR 0.7, 95% CI 0.58-0.84) and BRCA2 (HR 0.41, 95% CI 0.29-0.59) patients. After surviving these years, survival benefits disappeared or were in favor of the sporadic patients. For epithelial ovarian cancer patients who received chemotherapy, we confirmed survival benefit for BRCA1 and BRCA2 germline pathogenic variant carriers. This may indicate higher sensitivity to chemotherapy, both in first line treatment and in the recurrent setting. The observed benefit appears to be limited to a relatively short period after epithelial ovarian cancer diagnosis.
Abstract The presence of a germline BRCA1/2 mutation improves options for tailored risk-reducing strategies and treatment in both breast and ovarian cancer patients and their relatives. Currently, ...referral for germline BRCA1/2 mutation testing of women with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) varies widely, based on different criteria, such as age of onset, family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer and histological type of EOC. The overall probability of a germline BRCA1/2 mutation in women with EOC is above 10%, and a substantial part of the germline BRCA1/2 mutation carriers is missed when applying these criteria for referral. Therefore, we strongly recommend referral of all women with EOC for genetic counselling and DNA analysis.
Comparative evaluation of costs and effects of laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH) and abdominal hysterectomy (AH).
Controlled trials from Cochrane Central register of controlled trials, Medline, Embase ...and prospective trial registers.
Twelve (randomized) controlled studies including the search terms costs, laparoscopy, laparotomy and hysterectomy were identified.
The type of cost analysis, perspective of cost analyses and separate cost components were assessed. The direct and indirect costs were extracted from the original studies. For the cost estimation, hospital stay and procedure costs were selected as most important cost drivers. As main outcome the major complication rate was taken.
Analysis was performed on 2226 patients, of which 1013 (45.5%) in the LH group and 1213 (54.5%) in the AH group. Five studies scored > or =10 points (out of 19) for methodological quality. The reported total direct costs in the LH group ($63,997) were 6.1% higher than the AH group ($60,114). The reported total indirect costs of the LH group ($1,609) were half of the total indirect in the AH group ($3,139). The estimated mean major complication rate in the LH group (14.3%) was lower than in the AH group (15.9%). The estimated total costs in the LH group were $3,884 versus $3,312 in the AH group. The incremental costs for reducing one patient with major complication(s) in the LH group compared to the AH group was $35,750.
The shorter hospital stay in the LH group compensates for the increased procedure costs, with less morbidity. LH points in the direction of cost effectiveness, however further research is warranted with a broader costs perspective including long term effects as societal benefit, quality of life and survival.
Endometrial cancer (EC) risk in BReast CAncer gene 1/2 (BRCA1/2) mutation carriers is uncertain; therefore, we assessed this in a large Dutch nationwide cohort study.
We selected 5980 BRCA1/2 (3788 ...BRCA1, 2151 gBRCA2, 41 both BRCA1/BRCA2) and 8451 non-BRCA1/2 mutation carriers from the Hereditary Breast and Ovarian cancer study, the Netherlands cohort. Follow-up started at the date of the nationwide Dutch Pathology Registry coverage (January 1, 1989) or at the age of 25 years (whichever came last) and ended at date of EC diagnosis, last follow-up, or death (whichever came first). EC risk in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers was compared with 1) the general population, estimating standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) based on Dutch population-based incidence rates; and 2) non-BRCA1/2 mutation carriers, using Cox-regression analyses, expressed as hazard ratio (HR). Statistical tests were 2-sided.
Fifty-eight BRCA1/2 and 33 non-BRCA1/2 mutation carriers developed EC over 119 296 and 160 841 person-years, respectively (SIR = 2.83, 95% confidence interval CI = 2.18 to 3.65; and HR = 2.37, 95% CI = 1.53 to 3.69, respectively). gBRCA1 mutation carriers showed increased risks for EC overall (SIR = 3.51, 95% CI = 2.61 to 4.72; HR = 2.91, 95% CI = 1.83 to 4.66), serous-like EC (SIR = 12.64, 95% CI = 7.62 to 20.96; HR = 10.48, 95% CI = 2.95 to 37.20), endometrioid EC (SIR = 2.63, 95% CI = 1.80 to 3.83; HR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.18 to 3.45), and TP53-mutated EC (HR = 15.71, 95% CI = 4.62 to 53.40). For BRCA2 mutation carriers, overall (SIR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.01 to 2.87) and serous-like EC risks (SIR = 5.11, 95% CI = 1.92 to 13.63) were increased compared with the general population. Absolute risks by 75 years remained low (overall EC = 3.0%; serous-like EC = 1.1%).
BRCA1/2 mutation carriers have a two- to threefold increased risk for EC, with highest risk observed for the rare subgroups of serous-like and p53-abnormal EC in BRCA1 mutation carriers.
Summary Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer, or Lynch syndrome, is responsible for 2–3% of all colorectal cancers. Lynch syndrome is also associated with a high risk of extracolonic cancers, ...including endometrial, stomach, small bowel, pancreas, biliary tract, ovary, urinary tract, brain, and skin cancer. In this Review, we discuss the risks, surveillance tests, and guidelines for the management of extracolonic tumours associated with Lynch syndrome. For all types of extracolonic cancer, evidence supporting surveillance is scarce. A benefit of surveillance is evident only for endometrial cancer, where transvaginal ultrasound and endometrial sampling detect tumours in early stages. Surveillance is generally recommended for urinary tract and gastric cancer, especially in families with more than one member with these types of cancer. For the other types of cancer, surveillance is typically not recommended. Prophylactic hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy should be considered for women with Lynch syndrome who are past childbearing age, especially during surgery for colorectal cancer. No data show efficacy of chemopreventive drugs in reducing the risk of extracolonic cancers for patients with Lynch syndrome.