BRCA1, a Potential Predictive Biomarker in the Treatment of Breast Cancer

Abstract

LEARNING OBJECTIVESAfter completing this course, the reader will be able to:1. List the biomarkers that are currently used and those that may be of potential use in the management of breast cancer.2. Explain how BRCA1 is involved in the development of both inherited and sporadic breast cancer.3. Discuss the potential role of BRCA1 as a determinant of response to different types of chemotherapy agents.4. Describe the relationship between BRCA1 and basal-like breast cancer.Access and take the CME test online and receive 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™ at CME.TheOncologist.com CME CME ABSTRACTTo date, estrogen receptor, progestogen receptor, and HER2/neu represent molecular biomarkers currently used in routine clinical practice to aid treatment decisions. Over the last few years, a large body of preclinical and retrospective clinical data has accumulated that suggests that BRCA1 mutation functions as a novel predictive marker of response to chemotherapy. This article reviews the role of BRCA1 as a predictive marker of chemotherapy response in breast cancer and examines the link between BRCA1 deficiency and the basal-like phenotype. Search strategy. Data for this article were identified through MEDLINE and PubMed searches for published reports using the terms BRCA1, breast cancer, basal-like, chemotherapy, prognosis, and predictive markers. In some cases, due to the restriction of space, readers are referred to review articles to allow further reading. Only articles published in English were included. The Oncologist 2007;12:142-150

Molecular Fingerprints and Biomarkers of Breast Cancer

“…High expression of BRCA1 indicates worse prognosis [60] If highly expressed, BRCA1 can predict response to chemotherapy in breast cancer patients [61] MammaPrint Prognosticator in a heterogeneous population for stratification of breast cancer patients into good or poor prognosis, it is a 70-gene assay [38] Oncotype DX A 21-gene multiplex prognostic assay used for determination of recurrence score. [62,63] …”

Breast Cancer and Current Therapeutic Approaches: From Radiation to Photodynamic Therapy

“…Treatment choices are limited in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (do not express HER2 and hormone receptors), where the prognosis is usually poor (Miles, 2009). These tumours are sensitive to platinum compounds and their DNA damaging effect, because of downregulation of BRCA-1 (DNA repair protein) (James et al, 2007). The results of combined platinum and taxane (docetaxel) therapy in patients with triple-negative metastatic breast cancer ongoing from phase III trial are expected in 2012 (Miles, 2009).…”

Carcinomas mamários de tipo basal: perfil clínico-patológico e evolutivo

“…It can also be a predictive factor for chemotherapeutic response. 11,14 Immunohistochemically, there is no international consensus on the precise markers that defines a basal-like tumor. However, most authors have defined basal-like cancers as being ER-, PR-, and HER2-negative tumors which express at least one of the basal CKs (CK5, CK5/6, CK14 or CK17).…”