Aim
BRCA1/2
mutation carriers with primary breast cancer (PBC) are at high risk of contralateral breast cancer (CBC). In a nationwide cohort, we investigated the effects of chemotherapeutic agents given for PBC on CBC risk separately in
BRCA1
and
BRCA2
mutation carriers.
Patients and methods
BRCA1
or
BRCA2
mutation carriers with an invasive PBC diagnosis from 1990 to 2017 were selected from a Dutch cohort. We estimated cumulative CBC incidence using competing risks analysis. Hazard ratios (HR) for the effect of neo-adjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy and different chemotherapeutic agents on CBC risk were estimated using Cox regression.
Results
We included 1090
BRCA1
and 568
BRCA2
mutation carriers; median follow-up was 8.9 and 8.4 years, respectively. Ten-year cumulative CBC incidence for treatment with and without chemotherapy was 6.7% [95%CI: 5.1–8.6] and 16.7% [95%CI: 10.8–23.7] in
BRCA1
and 4.8% [95%CI: 2.7–7.8] and 16.0% [95%CI: 9.3–24.4] in
BRCA2
mutation carriers, respectively. Chemotherapy was associated with reduced CBC risk in
BRCA1
(multivariable HR: 0.46, 95%CI: 0.29–0.74); a similar trend was observed in
BRCA2
mutation carriers (HR: 0.63, 95%CI: 0.29–1.39). In
BRCA1
, risk reduction was most pronounced in the first 5 years (HR: 0.32, 95%CI: 0.17–0.61). Anthracyclines and the combination of anthracyclines with taxanes were associated with substantial CBC risk reduction in
BRCA1
carriers (HR: 0.34, 95%CI: 0.17–0.68 and HR: 0.22, 95%CI: 0.08–0.62, respectively).
Conclusion
Risk-reducing effects of chemotherapy are substantial for at least 5 years and may be used in personalised CBC risk prediction in any case for
BRCA1
mutation carriers.