Combining Breast Cancer Risk Prediction Models

Simple Summary BRCAPRO is a widely used breast cancer risk prediction model based on family history. A major limitation of this model is that it does not consider non-genetic risk factors. We expand BRCAPRO by combining it with another popular model, BCRAT, that uses mostly non-genetic risk factors, and show that the expanded model can achieve improvements in prediction accuracy over both BRCAPRO and BCRAT. Accurate risk stratification is key to reducing cancer morbidity through targeted screening and preventative interventions. Multiple breast cancer risk prediction models are used in clinical practice, and often provide a range of different predictions for the same patient. Integrating information from different models may improve the accuracy of predictions, which would be valuable for both clinicians and patients. BRCAPRO is a widely used model that predicts breast cancer risk based on detailed family history information. A major limitation of this model is that it does not consider non-genetic risk factors. To address this limitation, we expand BRCAPRO by combining it with another popular existing model, BCRAT (i.e., Gail), which uses a largely complementary set of risk factors, most of them non-genetic. We consider two approaches for combining BRCAPRO and BCRAT: (1) modifying the penetrance (age-specific probability of developing cancer given genotype) functions in BRCAPRO using relative hazard estimates from BCRAT, and (2) training an ensemble model that takes BRCAPRO and BCRAT predictions as input. Using both simulated data and data from Newton-Wellesley Hospital and the Cancer Genetics Network, we show that the combination models are able to achieve performance gains over both BRCAPRO and BCRAT. In the Cancer Genetics Network cohort, we show that the proposed BRCAPRO + BCRAT penetrance modification model performs comparably to IBIS, an existing model that combines detailed family history with non-genetic risk factors.

Automated summary

BRCAPRO is a breast cancer risk prediction model that does not consider non-genetic risk factors. We expand BRCAPRO by combining it with BCRAT, a model that uses mostly non-genetic risk factors, and show improved prediction accuracy. Accurate risk stratification is essential for targeted screening and prevention of cancer.