(Nov. 19, 2016) In research published this month in Gynecologic Oncology, a group of Canadian researchers have found that long-term survival is not associated with BRCA mutation status in ovarian cancer patients.
Past research has shown that after a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, positive BRCA mutation status confers a mortality benefit that diminishes with time. In this study, researchers estimated the annual mortality of over 1,400 ovarian cancer patients with epithelial ovarian cancer, and compared women who did and didn’t survive 10 years, considering a range of factors, including BRCA mutation status and extent of residual disease post-surgery.
Results showed that by 10-years of follow-up, 43% of non-carriers, 57% of BRCA1 mutation carriers and 69% of BRCA2 mutation carriers had died from ovarian cancer. Among women with stage III/IV serous cancers and no residual disease, the 10-year actuarial survival was 42% for non-carriers and 29% for mutation carriers.
The researchers conclude that the initial survival advantage among women with BRCA mutations may reflect a higher initial sensitivity of BRCA carriers to chemotherapy, but this response does not predict long-term survival. They conclude that the strongest predictor of long-term survival is status of no residual disease after surgery.
Click here to read the abstract.
