Evaluation of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations and risk-prediction models in a typical Asian country (Malaysia) with a relatively low incidence of breast cancer
2008

BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutations in Malaysian Breast Cancer Patients

Sample size: 187 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Thirthagiri E, Lee SY, Kang P, Lee DS, Toh GT, Selamat S, Yoon S-Y, Taib NA Mohd, Thong MK, Yip CH, Teo SH

Primary Institution: Cancer Research Initiatives Foundation, Subang Jaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Hypothesis

The study aims to evaluate the prevalence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations and the effectiveness of risk-prediction models in a Malaysian population with low breast cancer incidence.

Conclusion

The study highlights the need for larger studies to validate genetic testing and risk-prediction models for non-Caucasian populations.

Supporting Evidence

  • 27 deleterious mutations were detected, including 14 in BRCA1 and 13 in BRCA2.
  • Many mutations identified were novel, with 13 of the 30 BRCA1 mutations and 24 of the 44 BRCA2 mutations being previously unreported.
  • The predictive power of the BOADICEA model was significantly better for BRCA1 than BRCA2.

Takeaway

This study looked at breast cancer patients in Malaysia to see if they had certain gene mutations that could increase their cancer risk, and found some new mutations that weren't seen before.

Methodology

The study involved genetic testing of 187 breast cancer patients for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations using full sequencing and risk-prediction models.

Potential Biases

Potential biases may arise from the limited family history data and the small sample size of certain ethnic groups.

Limitations

The study's findings may not be generalizable to other populations due to the unique ethnic composition of the Malaysian cohort.

Participant Demographics

Participants included Malays, Chinese, and Indians, with a mean age of diagnosis of 43.8 years.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.05

Confidence Interval

95% CI = 0.67 to 0.81 for BRCA1; 95% CI = 0.75 to 0.88 for BRCA2

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/bcr2118

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