Testing for BRCA Mutations: Should Criteria Be Broadened?

Offering testing to women who are younger than 50 and have triple-negative breast cancer is cost-effective.

Almost 10% of women with breast cancer who are younger than 50 have BRCA mutations. Most of these BRCA-positive women do not have personal or family histories of breast or ovarian cancer and are not of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. Researchers developed a simulation model that incorporated healthcare costs and net health benefits (i.e., mean life expectancy and quality-adjusted life expectancy gains) to estimate incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) for BRCA testing in six populations of women younger than 50 who have breast cancer:

1. No testing (reference)

2. Women younger than 50 with medullary breast cancer

3. Women younger than 40 with any breast cancer

4. Women younger than 40 with triple-negative (TN; negative for estrogen receptors…

Reviewing Author

Andrew M. Kaunitz, MD

Disclosures

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Grant/Research SupportMerck, Mithra, Medicines360

Editorial BoardsContraception; Menopause; Contraceptive Technology Update; OBG Management; Medscape OB/GYN & Women’s Health