Epidemiologic and molecular risk factors for contralateral breast cancer among young women

Purpose The number of breast cancer survivors at risk of developing contralateral breast cancer (CBC) is increasing. However, ambiguity remains regarding risk factors and prognosis for women with CBC. Patients and Methods In a cohort of 42,670 women with breast cancer in the Uppsala/Örebro and Stockholm regions in Sweden in 1992 to 2008, we assessed risk factors for and prognosis of metachronous CBC by using survival analysis. Breast cancer–specific survival for women with CBC was evaluated and compared with results for women with unilateral breast cancer (UBC) by using time-dependent Cox-regression modeling. Results An increased risk for CBC was observed among women who had primary breast cancer with ≥ 10 involved lymph nodes compared with node-negative women (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.8; 95% CI, 1.2 to 2.7). The prognosis was poorer in women with CBC than with UBC. The hazard of dying from breast cancer was especially high for women with a short interval time to CBC (adjusted HR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.8 to 2.8 for CBC diagnosed ≤ 5 years v UBC) and gradually decreased with longer follow-up time but remained higher than the hazard originating from the primary tumor for ≥ 10 years. Conclusion Women with advanced-stage primary breast cancer had an increased risk of developing CBC. CBC is associated with an increased risk of dying from breast cancer throughout a long period of follow-up after the primary tumor. Our findings suggest that the event of CBC marks a new clinical situation in terms of investigations for metastases, treatment considerations, and follow-up strategy.

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Risk of Asynchronous Contralateral Breast Cancer in Noncarriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutations With a Family History of Breast Cancer: A Report From the Women's Environmental Cancer and Radiation Epidemiology Study

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2012.43.2013 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 31 (4) ◽

pp. 433-439 ◽

Cited By ~ 78

Author(s):

Anne S. Reiner ◽

Esther M. John ◽

Jennifer D. Brooks ◽

Charles F. Lynch ◽

Leslie Bernstein ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Family History ◽

Young Women ◽

Contralateral Breast Cancer ◽

Contralateral Breast ◽

Brca1 And Brca2 ◽

Bilateral Disease ◽

History Of ◽

Brca2 Mutations ◽

Brca1 And Brca2 Mutations

Purpose To fully characterize the risk of contralateral breast cancer (CBC) in patients with breast cancer with a family history who test negative for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Patients and Methods From our population-based case-control study comparing women with CBC to women with unilateral breast cancer (UBC), we selected women who tested negative for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations (594 patients with CBC/1,119 control patients with UBC). Rate ratios (RRs) and 95% CIs were estimated to examine the association between family history of breast cancer and risk of asynchronous CBC. Age- and family history–specific 10-year cumulative absolute risks of CBC were estimated. Results Family history of breast cancer was associated with increased CBC risk; risk was highest among young women (< 45 years) with first-degree relatives affected at young ages (< 45 years; RR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.1 to 5.3) or women with first-degree relatives with bilateral disease (RR, 3.6; 95% CI, 2.0 to 6.4). Women diagnosed with UBC before age 55 years with a first-degree family history of CBC had a 10-year risk of CBC of 15.6%. Conclusion Young women with breast cancer who have a family history of breast cancer and who test negative for deleterious mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 are at significantly greater risk of CBC than other breast cancer survivors. This risk varies with diagnosis age, family history of CBC, and degree of relationship to an affected relative. Women with a first-degree family history of bilateral disease have risks of CBC similar to mutation carriers. This has important implications for the clinical management of patients with breast cancer with family history of the disease.

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