BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutations and Prognosis in Ovarian Cancer

Five-year overall survival rate was higher in carriers than noncarriers.

Some studies have shown that women with ovarian cancer who carry BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations have a better prognosis than noncarriers, whereas other studies found no such differences. To examine this issue further, investigators conducted a pooled analysis of 26 observational studies involving 3879 women with ovarian cancer: 909 carried BRCA1 mutations, 304 carried BRCA2 mutations, and 2666 were noncarriers.

Rates of 5-year overall survival were significantly higher in BRCA1 mutation carriers (44%; 95% confidence interval, 40%–48%) and BRCA2 mutation carriers (52%; 95% CI, 46%–58%) than noncarriers (36%; 95% CI, 34%–38%). These differences remained significant after adjustments for age, time of diagnosis, and stage and grade of ovarian cancer.

Reviewing Author

Virginia Kaklamani, MD, DSc