Comprehensive clinical characterization of patients with BRCA1: c.5017_5019del germline variant

Purpose: We provide evidence for the reclassification of the BRCA1: c.5017_5019del variant by presenting the clinicopathological characteristics, clinical outcomes, and family history of breast or ovarian cancer in 17 patients with this variant. Methods: This study included breast or ovarian cancer patients tested for BRCA1/ 2 genes between January 2008 and June 2020 at 10 medical centers in Korea. We retrospectively reviewed 17 probands from 15 families who had the BRCA1: c.5017_5019del variant according to the electronic medical records. Results: We present 10 breast cancer patients and 7 ovarian cancer patients from 15 families identified as having BRCA1: c.5017_5019del and a total of 19 cases of breast cancer and 14 cases of ovarian cancer in these families. The ratio of breast-to-ovarian cancer was 1.3:1. Breast cancer patients with this variant showed a rich family history of breast or ovarian cancer, 8 patients (80.0%). The mean age at diagnosis was 45.4 years and 6 patients (60.0%) were categorized into hormone-receptor-negative breast cancer. Also, the ovarian cancer patients with this variant showed strong family histories of breast and/or ovarian cancer in 4 patients (57.1%). Conclusion: We presented clinical evidence for the reclassification of BRCA1: c.5017_5019del as a likely pathogenic variant (LPV). Reclassification as LPV could result in the prophylactic treatment and medical surveillance of probands, family testing recommendations, and appropriate genetic counseling of their families. [Ann Surg Treat Res 2022;103(6):323-330]

Automated summary

We provide clinical evidence for the reclassification of the BRCA1: c.5017_5019del variant as a likely pathogenic variant (LPV) based on the analysis of clinicopathological characteristics and family history of 17 patients.