Are patients with triple-negative breast cancer screened for BRCA mutations according to NCCN guidelines?

Abstract

7 Background: Ten to 25 percent of patients diagnosed with breast cancer have triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), defined as tumors negative for estrogen, progesterone, and Her2-neu receptors. TNBC is more aggressive than receptor positive cancer. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recommends BRCA genetic testing for women less than age 60 when diagnosed with TNBC. Methods: The Commission on Cancer registry tumor database was queried for TNBC from 2006 to 2013. Patient demographics were analyzed. Data regarding pathologic details and BRCA testing was collected. Analyses using the Fisher's exact test were conducted. Results: TNBC tumors were identified in the database (n = 173). Sixty-one percent (105/173) of patients were less than 60 years of age, therefore BRCA testing was indicated. Fifteen patients were BRCA positive. Eighty-three percent (87/105) of patients underwent BRCA testing. Seventeen percent (18/105) of patients did not receive BRCA testing that should have under the current guidelines. Patients that did not undergo recommended BRCA testing were more likely to be greater than or equal to 55 years of age (p = 0.002), African-American (p = 0.001), have Medicaid listed as a primary payer (p = 0.021), and have American Joint Commission on Cancer (AJCC) stage 3 disease (p = 0.014). Conclusions: Risk factors for not completing BRCA testing include older age, African-American race, Medicaid insurance status, and stage 3 disease. Health provider awareness of this opportunity for improvement is important to decrease these health disparities. [Table: see text]