Clinical Outcome of Hereditary Breast Cancer in the Lithuanian Population

Abstract

Abstract Breast cancer family history has been known to be one of the main cancer risk factors. Members of high-risk families should be given recommendations which may improve prophylaxis, early diagnosis and treatment. Detection of high-risk families is possible by identification of mutations in cancer susceptibility genes like BRCA1 and BRCA2 as well as by family history showing breast and/or ovary cancer aggregation. In a group of 521 breast cancer patients we identified 26 patients with hereditary breast cancer who fulfilled the following criteria: one more relative with breast cancer, vertical transmission, at least one breast cancer patient affected at the age under 50 years. 8 patients of these developed second primary breast cancer. We also compared the frequency of hereditary cancers in stage I-III with the frequency of respective cancers with negative family history. Hereditary breast cancers were diagnosed less frequently in stage I and more frequently in stage II and III (RR = 0.49, RR = 1.39, RR = 1.62, respectively). Because of importance of family history as well as genetic testing for breast cancer susceptibility genes (BRCA1/2), it is necessary to create a nationwide network of hereditary cancer clinics for proper diagnosis, treatment, and prophylaxis of these patients.

Keywords

• hereditary breast cancer
• early hereditary cancer
• relative risk (RR)