1
|
Aretini P, Presciuttini S, Pastore A, Galli A, Panepinto S, Tancredi M, Ghilli M, Guglielmi C, Sidoti D, Congregati C, Caligo MA. The BRCA1 c.4096+1G>A Is a Founder Variant Which Originated in Ancient Times. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15507. [PMID: 37958491 PMCID: PMC10648645 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Approximately 30-50% of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) is due to the presence of germline pathogenic variants in the BRCA1 (OMIM 113705) and BRCA2 (OMIM 600185) onco-suppressor genes, which are involved in DNA damage response. Women who carry pathogenic BRCA1 variants are particularly likely to develop breast cancer (BC) and ovarian cancer (OC), with a 45-79 percent and 39-48 percent chance, respectively. The BRCA1 c.4096+1G>A variant has been frequently ascertained in Tuscany, Italy, and it has also been detected in other Italian regions and other countries. Its pathogenetic status has been repeatedly changed from a variant of uncertain significance, to pathogenic, to likely pathogenic. In our study, 48 subjects (38 of whom are carriers) from 27 families were genotyped with the Illumina OncoArray Infinium platform (533,531 SNPs); a 20 Mb region (24.6 cM) around BRCA1, including 4130 SNPs (21 inside BRCA1) was selected for haplotype analysis. We used a phylogenetic method to estimate the time to the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of BRCA1 c.4096+1G>A founder pathogenic variant. This analysis suggests that the MRCA lived about 155 generations ago-around 3000 years ago.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Aretini
- Fondazione Pisana per la Scienza, San Giuliano Terme, 56017 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Silvano Presciuttini
- Dipartimento di Ricerca Traslazionale e Nuove Tecnologie in Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Aldo Pastore
- Fondazione Pisana per la Scienza, San Giuliano Terme, 56017 Pisa, Italy;
- Laboratorio NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Alvaro Galli
- Istituto di Fisiologia Clinica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), 56124 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Sara Panepinto
- Laboratorio di Genetica Molecolare, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (S.P.); (M.T.); (C.G.); (D.S.)
| | - Mariella Tancredi
- Laboratorio di Genetica Molecolare, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (S.P.); (M.T.); (C.G.); (D.S.)
| | - Matteo Ghilli
- Breast Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana, 56126 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Chiara Guglielmi
- Laboratorio di Genetica Molecolare, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (S.P.); (M.T.); (C.G.); (D.S.)
| | - Diletta Sidoti
- Laboratorio di Genetica Molecolare, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (S.P.); (M.T.); (C.G.); (D.S.)
| | - Caterina Congregati
- Genetica Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana, 56126 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Maria Adelaide Caligo
- Laboratorio di Genetica Molecolare, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (S.P.); (M.T.); (C.G.); (D.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Tabassum S, Munir F, Al Awadh AA, Anwar Z. PATHOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF CDH1/E-CADHERIN GERMLINE SEQUENCE VARIANTS IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS. Exp Oncol 2023; 45:170-179. [PMID: 37824775 DOI: 10.15407/exp-oncology.2023.02.170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Germline alterations of the CDH1 (E-cadherin) tumor suppressor gene have been reported in several epithelial malignancies like hereditary diffuse gastric cancer and lobular breast cancer. E-cadherin plays a central role in proliferation, maintenance of cell-to-cell adhesion, polarity, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of tissue cells. It is necessary to analyze the impact of the CDH1 germline sequence variants on protein and predict its clinical significance in breast cancer (BC) progression. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact and association of CDH1 gene potentially pathogenic variants/likely pathogenic variants (PVs/LPVs) with the initiation and progression of BC. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this study, the clinical data of 200 BC patients have been analyzed based on the type of BC, age, grade, stage, hormonal status, and risk factors. Blood samples from 50 healthy donors were used as a control. Furthermore, CDH1 gene molecular analysis, along with in silico analysis, was provided to assess the invasiveness and progression of BC caused by the E-cadherin protein. RESULTS Four variants were identified by genetic screening within the CDH1 gene that included variations in exons 7, 8, 10, 11, and 13. Exon 10 had splice site mutation at position c.1337C>A, affecting the protein structure. In exon 11, there was an insertion of T base at position 1669, resulting in truncated protein compared to a normal one that can lead to the disease-causing non- sense-mediated decay and exon 13 variant c.2076T>C has already known polymorphism. In silico analysis of CDH1 showed the presence of the different variants that indicated the overall disruption of protein structure and function. CONCLUSIONS The further functional analysis of these variants and their association with BC can be ensured by increasing the sample size and in vivo studies using mouse models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Tabassum
- Department of Biological Sciences, International Islamic Univeristy, Islamabad 1243, Pakistan
| | - F Munir
- Department of Biological Sciences, International Islamic Univeristy, Islamabad 1243, Pakistan
| | - A A Al Awadh
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Najran University, Najran 61441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Z Anwar
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw 02-097, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Fanale D, Corsini LR, Pedone E, Randazzo U, Fiorino A, Di Piazza M, Brando C, Magrin L, Contino S, Piraino P, Bazan Russo TD, Cipolla C, Russo A, Bazan V. Potential agnostic role of BRCA alterations in patients with several solid tumors: One for all, all for one? Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2023; 190:104086. [PMID: 37536445 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2023.104086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Germline BRCA1/2 alterations in the Homologous Recombination (HR) pathway are considered as main susceptibility biomarkers to Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancers (HBOC). The modern molecular biology technologies allowed to characterize germline and somatic BRCA1/2 alterations in several malignancies, broadening the landscape of BRCA1/2-alterated tumors. In the last years, BRCA genetic testing, beyond the preventive value, also assumed a predictive and prognostic significance for patient management. The approval of molecules with agnostic indication is leading to a new clinical model, defined "mutational". Among these drugs, the Poly (ADP)-Ribose Polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) for BRCA1/2-deficient tumors were widely studied leading to increasing therapeutic implications. In this Review we provided an overview of the main clinical studies describing the association between BRCA-mutated tumors and PARPi response, focusing on the controversial evidence about the potential agnostic indication based on BRCA1/2 alterations in several solid tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Fanale
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Lidia Rita Corsini
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Erika Pedone
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Ugo Randazzo
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Alessia Fiorino
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Marianna Di Piazza
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Chiara Brando
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Luigi Magrin
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Silvia Contino
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Paola Piraino
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Tancredi Didier Bazan Russo
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Calogero Cipolla
- Division of General and Oncological Surgery, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonio Russo
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Viviana Bazan
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Anaclerio F, Pilenzi L, Dell’Elice A, Ferrante R, Grossi S, Ferlito LM, Marinelli C, Gildetti S, Calabrese G, Stuppia L, Antonucci I. Clinical usefulness of NGS multi-gene panel testing in hereditary cancer analysis. Front Genet 2023; 14:1060504. [PMID: 37065479 PMCID: PMC10104445 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1060504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: A considerable number of families with pedigrees suggestive of a Mendelian form of Breast Cancer (BC), Ovarian Cancer (OC), or Pancreatic Cancer (PC) do not show detectable BRCA1/2 mutations after genetic testing. The use of multi-gene hereditary cancer panels increases the possibility to identify individuals with cancer predisposing gene variants. Our study was aimed to evaluate the increase in the detection rate of pathogenic mutations in BC, OC, and PC patients when using a multi-gene panel.Methods: 546 patients affected by BC (423), PC (64), or OC (59) entered the study from January 2020 to December 2021. For BC patients, inclusion criteria were i) positive cancer family background, ii) early onset, and iii) triple negative BC. PC patients were enrolled when affected by metastatic cancer, while OC patients were all submitted to genetic testing without selection. The patients were tested using a Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) panel containing 25 genes in addition to BRCA1/2.Results: Forty-four out of 546 patients (8%) carried germline pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants (PV/LPV) on BRCA1/2 genes, and 46 (8%) presented PV or LPV in other susceptibility genes.Discussion: Our findings demonstrate the utility of expanded panel testing in patients with suspected hereditary cancer syndromes, since this approach increased the mutation detection rate of 15% in PC, 8% in BC and 5% in OC cases. In absence of multi-gene panel analysis, a considerable percentage of mutations would have been lost.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Federico Anaclerio
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), G.d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Lucrezia Pilenzi
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), G.d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Anastasia Dell’Elice
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), G.d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Rossella Ferrante
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), G.d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- *Correspondence: Rossella Ferrante,
| | - Simona Grossi
- Eusoma Breast Centre, “G. Bernabeo” Hospital, Ortona, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Giuseppe Calabrese
- UOSD Genetica Oncoematologica, Dipartimento di Oncologico-Ematologico, Pescara, Italy
| | - Liborio Stuppia
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), G.d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Ivana Antonucci
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), G.d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Fanale D, Pivetti A, Cancelliere D, Spera A, Bono M, Fiorino A, Pedone E, Barraco N, Brando C, Perez A, Guarneri MF, Russo TDB, Vieni S, Guarneri G, Russo A, Bazan V. BRCA1/2 variants of unknown significance in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) syndrome: looking for the hidden meaning. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2022; 172:103626. [PMID: 35150867 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2022.103626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome is caused by germline mutations in BRCA1/2 genes. These genes are very large and their mutations are heterogeneous and scattered throughout the coding sequence. In addition to the above-mentioned mutations, variants of uncertain/unknown significance (VUSs) have been identified in BRCA genes, which make more difficult the clinical management of the patient and risk assessment. In the last decades, several laboratories have developed different databases that contain more than 2000 variants for the two genes and integrated strategies which include multifactorial prediction models based on direct and indirect genetic evidence, to classify the VUS and attribute them a clinical significance associated with a deleterious, high-low or neutral risk. This review provides a comprehensive overview of literature studies concerning the VUSs, in order to assess their impact on the population and provide new insight for the appropriate patient management in clinical practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Fanale
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Alessia Pivetti
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Daniela Cancelliere
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonio Spera
- Department of Radiotherapy, San Giovanni di Dio Hospital, ASP of Agrigento, Agrigento, Italy
| | - Marco Bono
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Alessia Fiorino
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Erika Pedone
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Nadia Barraco
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Chiara Brando
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Alessandro Perez
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Tancredi Didier Bazan Russo
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Salvatore Vieni
- Division of General and Oncological Surgery, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Italy
| | - Girolamo Guarneri
- Gynecology Section, Mother - Child Department, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonio Russo
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Viviana Bazan
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Bono M, Fanale D, Incorvaia L, Cancelliere D, Fiorino A, Calò V, Dimino A, Filorizzo C, Corsini LR, Brando C, Madonia G, Cucinella A, Scalia R, Barraco N, Guadagni F, Pedone E, Badalamenti G, Russo A, Bazan V. Impact of deleterious variants in other genes beyond BRCA1/2 detected in breast/ovarian and pancreatic cancer patients by NGS-based multi-gene panel testing: looking over the hedge. ESMO Open 2021; 6:100235. [PMID: 34371384 PMCID: PMC8358413 DOI: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2021.100235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hereditary breast cancer (BC), ovarian cancer (OC), and pancreatic cancer (PC) are the major BRCA-associated tumours. However, some BRCA1/2-wild-type (wt) patients with a strong personal and/or family history of cancer need a further genetic testing through a multi-gene panel containing other high- and moderate-risk susceptibility genes. PATIENTS AND METHODS Our study was aimed to assess if some BC, OC, or PC patients should be offered multi-gene panel testing, based on well-defined criteria concerning their personal and/or family history of cancer, such as earliness of cancer onset, occurrence of multiple tumours, or presence of at least two or more affected first-degree relatives. For this purpose, 205 out of 915 BC, OC, or PC patients, resulted negative for BRCA1/2 and with significant personal and/or family history of cancer, were genetically tested for germline pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants (PVs/LPVs) in genes different from BRCA1/2. RESULTS Our investigation revealed that 31 (15.1%) out of 205 patients harboured germline PVs/LPVs in no-BRCA genes, including PALB2, CHEK2, ATM, MUTYH, MSH2, and RAD51C. Interestingly, in the absence of an analysis conducted through multi-gene panel, a considerable percentage (15.1%) of PVs/LPVs would have been lost. CONCLUSIONS Providing a multi-gene panel testing to BRCA1/2-wt BC/OC/PC patients with a strong personal and/or family history of cancer could significantly increase the detection rates of germline PVs/LPVs in other cancer predisposition genes beyond BRCA1/2. The use of a multi-gene panel testing could improve the inherited cancer risk estimation and clinical management of patients and unaffected family members.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Bono
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - D Fanale
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - L Incorvaia
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (Bi.N.D.), Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - D Cancelliere
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - A Fiorino
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - V Calò
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - A Dimino
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - C Filorizzo
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - L R Corsini
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - C Brando
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - G Madonia
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - A Cucinella
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - R Scalia
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - N Barraco
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - F Guadagni
- BioBIM (Interinstitutional Multidisciplinary Biobank), IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Rome, Italy; Department of Human Sciences & Quality of Life Promotion, San Raffaele Roma Open University, Rome, Italy
| | - E Pedone
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - G Badalamenti
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - A Russo
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
| | - V Bazan
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (Bi.N.D.), Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Incorvaia L, Fanale D, Bono M, Calò V, Fiorino A, Brando C, Corsini LR, Cutaia S, Cancelliere D, Pivetti A, Filorizzo C, La Mantia M, Barraco N, Cusenza S, Badalamenti G, Russo A, Bazan V. BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants in triple-negative versus luminal-like breast cancers: genotype-phenotype correlation in a cohort of 531 patients. Ther Adv Med Oncol 2020; 12:1758835920975326. [PMID: 33403015 PMCID: PMC7747114 DOI: 10.1177/1758835920975326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Several available data suggest the association between specific molecular subtypes and BRCA1/2 mutational status. Previous investigations showed the association between BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants (PVs) in specific genomic regions and phenotypic variations of cancer relative risk, while the role of PV type and location in determining the breast cancer (BC) phenotypic features remains still unclear. The aim of this research was to describe the germline BRCA1/2 PVs in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) versus luminal-like BC and their potential leverage on BC phenotype. Patients & methods We retrospectively collected and analyzed all clinical information of 531 patients with BC genetically tested for germline BRCA1/2 PVs by Next-Generation Sequencing analysis at University Hospital Policlinico "P. Giaccone" of Palermo (Sicily) from January 2016 to February 2020. Results Our results corroborate the evidence that BRCA1-related tumors often have a profile which resembles the TNBC subtype, whereas BRCA2-associated tumors have a profile that resembles luminal-like BC, especially the Luminal B subtype. Interestingly, our findings suggest that the PVs identified in TNBC were not largely overlapping with those in luminal-like tumors. Differences in the frequency of two PVs potentially associated with different molecular tumor subtypes were observed. BRCA1-633delC was detected with relatively higher prevalence in patients with TNBC, whereas BRCA2-1466delT was found mainly in Luminal B tumors, but in no TNBC patient. Conclusion Future studies examining the type and location of BRCA1/2 PVs within different molecular subtypes are required to verify our hypothesis and could provide an interesting insight into the complex topic of genotype-phenotype correlations. Additionally, a more in-depth understanding of the potential correlations between BRCA PVs and clinical and phenotypic features of hereditary BC syndrome patients could be the key to develop better strategies of prevention and surveillance in BRCA-positive carriers without disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Incorvaia
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (Bi.N.D.), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Daniele Fanale
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Marco Bono
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Valentina Calò
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Alessia Fiorino
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Chiara Brando
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Lidia Rita Corsini
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Sofia Cutaia
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Daniela Cancelliere
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Alessia Pivetti
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Clarissa Filorizzo
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Maria La Mantia
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Nadia Barraco
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Stefania Cusenza
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Badalamenti
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonio Russo
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 129, Palermo, 90127, Italy
| | - Viviana Bazan
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (Bi.N.D.), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Detection of Germline Mutations in a Cohort of 139 Patients with Bilateral Breast Cancer by Multi-Gene Panel Testing: Impact of Pathogenic Variants in Other Genes beyond BRCA1/2. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12092415. [PMID: 32854451 PMCID: PMC7564956 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12092415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 08/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Many bilateral breast cancer patients with increased hereditary susceptibility to breast cancer result negative for BRCA1 or BRCA2 pathogenic variants and, thus, need a further genetic testing through a broader gene panel. Some patients with negative test result for BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants may harbor pathogenic variants in other breast cancer susceptibility genes, including ATM, CHEK2, PALB2, PTEN, TP53. Of course, the use of a multi-gene panel provides clinicians more information through a single test. Therefore, we focused on potential clinical impact of a NGS-based multi-gene panel testing in bilateral breast cancer patients, in order to evaluate the utility of perform a most comprehensive genetic analysis in these subjects, regardless the criteria concerning personal and family history of cancer established by the current guidelines. Our study revealed that the use of a NGS-based multiple-gene panel testing could increase the detection rates of germline alterations in bilateral breast cancer patients. Abstract Patients with unilateral breast cancer (UBC) have an increased risk of developing bilateral breast cancer (BBC). The annual risk of contralateral BC is about 0.5%, but increases by up to 3% in BRCA1 or BRCA2 pathogenic variant (PV) carriers. Our study was aimed to evaluate whether all BBC patients should be offered multi-gene panel testing, regardless their cancer family history and age at diagnosis. We retrospectively collected all clinical information of 139 BBC patients genetically tested for germline PVs in different cancer susceptibility genes by NGS-based multi-gene panel testing. Our investigation revealed that 52 (37.4%) out of 139 BBC patients harbored germline PVs in high- and intermediate-penetrance breast cancer (BC) susceptibility genes including BRCA1, BRCA2, PTEN, PALB2, CHEK2, ATM, RAD51C. Nineteen out of 53 positively tested patients harbored a PV in a known BC susceptibility gene (no-BRCA). Interestingly, in the absence of an analysis performed via multi-gene panel, a significant proportion (14.4%) of PVs would have been lost. Therefore, offering a NGS-based multi-gene panel testing to all BBC patients may significantly increase the detection rates of germline PVs in other cancer susceptibility genes beyond BRCA1/2, avoiding underestimation of the number of individuals affected by a hereditary tumor syndrome.
Collapse
|
9
|
Shaw T, Chan SH, Teo JX, Chong ST, Li ST, Courtney E, Ishak D, Sankar H, Ang ZLT, Chiang J, Loh M, Zhou L, Lee SC, Yeh HY, Kolinjivadi AM, Lim WK, Ngeow J. Investigation into the origins of an ancient BRCA1 founder mutation identified among Chinese families in Singapore. Int J Cancer 2020; 148:637-645. [PMID: 32745242 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.33241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Identification of ancestry-specific pathogenic variants is imperative for diagnostic, treatment, management and prevention strategies, and to understand penetrance/modifiers on risk. Our study aimed to determine the clinical significance of a recurrent BRCA1 c.442-22_442-13del variant of unknown significance identified among 13 carriers from six Chinese families, all with a significant history of breast and/or ovarian cancer. We further aimed to establish whether this was due to a founder effect and explore its origins. Haplotype analysis, using nine microsatellite markers encompassing 2.5 megabase pairs around the BRCA1 locus, identified a common haploblock specific to the variant carriers, confirming a founder effect. Variant age was estimated to date back 77.9 generations to 69 bc using the Gamma approach. On principal component analysis using single nucleotide polymorphisms merged with 1000 Genomes dataset, variant carriers were observed to overlap predominantly with the southern Han Chinese population. To determine pathogenicity of the variant, we assessed the functional effect on RAD51 foci formation as well as replication fork stability upon induction of DNA damage and observed an impaired DNA repair response associated with the variant. In summary, we identified an ancient Chinese founder mutation dating back 77.9 generations, possibly common among individuals of southern Han Chinese descent. Using evidence from phenotypic/family history studies, segregation analysis and functional characterization, the BRCA1 variant was reclassified from uncertain significance to pathogenic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tarryn Shaw
- Cancer Genetics Service, Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sock Hoai Chan
- Cancer Genetics Service, Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jing Xian Teo
- SingHealth Duke-NUS Institute of Precision Medicine, Singapore
| | - Siao Ting Chong
- Cancer Genetics Service, Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shao-Tzu Li
- Cancer Genetics Service, Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Eliza Courtney
- Cancer Genetics Service, Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Diana Ishak
- Cancer Genetics Service, Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Haresh Sankar
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Zoe Li Ting Ang
- Cancer Genetics Service, Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jianbang Chiang
- Cancer Genetics Service, Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Marie Loh
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.,Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Li Zhou
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Soo Chin Lee
- Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Cancer Institute Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hui-Yuan Yeh
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | | | - Weng Khong Lim
- SingHealth Duke-NUS Institute of Precision Medicine, Singapore
| | - Joanne Ngeow
- Cancer Genetics Service, Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore.,Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer in Families from Southern Italy (Sicily)-Prevalence and Geographic Distribution of Pathogenic Variants in BRCA1/2 Genes. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12051158. [PMID: 32380732 PMCID: PMC7280980 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12051158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in the detection of germline pathogenic variants (PVs) in BRCA1/2 genes have allowed a deeper understanding of the BRCA-related cancer risk. Several studies showed a significant heterogeneity in the prevalence of PVs across different populations. Because little is known about this in the Sicilian population, our study was aimed at investigating the prevalence and geographic distribution of inherited BRCA1/2 PVs in families from this specific geographical area of Southern Italy. We retrospectively collected and analyzed all clinical information of 1346 hereditary breast and/or ovarian cancer patients genetically tested for germline BRCA1/2 PVs at University Hospital Policlinico "P. Giaccone" of Palermo from January 1999 to October 2019. Thirty PVs were more frequently observed in the Sicilian population but only some of these showed a specific territorial prevalence, unlike other Italian and European regions. This difference could be attributed to the genetic heterogeneity of the Sicilian people and its historical background. Therefore hereditary breast and ovarian cancers could be predominantly due to BRCA1/2 PVs different from those usually detected in other geographical areas of Italy and Europe. Our investigation led us to hypothesize that a higher prevalence of some germline BRCA PVs in Sicily could be a population-specific genetic feature of BRCA-positive carriers.
Collapse
|
11
|
Badalamenti G, Fanale D, Incorvaia L, Barraco N, Listì A, Maragliano R, Vincenzi B, Calò V, Iovanna JL, Bazan V, Russo A. Role of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in patients with solid tumors: Can a drop dig a stone? Cell Immunol 2018; 343:103753. [PMID: 29395859 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2018.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2017] [Revised: 12/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, multiple strategies for eliciting anti-tumor immunity have been developed in different clinical studies. Currently, immunotherapy was clinically validated as effective treatment option for many tumors such as melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Some surface receptors of immune cells, called immune checkpoint receptors, may inhibit activity of proinflammatory lymphocytes, following binding with specific ligands. Cancer cells exploit these mechanisms to inactivate tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) to escape from immunosurveillance. Among the different tumor-infiltrating immune cell populations, including leucocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells and mast cells, TILs are considered a selected population of T-cells with a higher specific immunological reactivity against tumor cells than the non-infiltrating lymphocytes. In this review we will discuss the promising role of TILs as biomarkers reflecting the immune response to the tumor, describing their potential ability to predict the prognosis and clinical outcome of immunotherapy in some solid tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Badalamenti
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Daniele Fanale
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Lorena Incorvaia
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Nadia Barraco
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Angela Listì
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Rossella Maragliano
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Bruno Vincenzi
- Medical Oncology Department, University Campus Bio-Medico, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Calò
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Juan Lucio Iovanna
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), Unité 1068, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Marseille F-13009, France
| | - Viviana Bazan
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonio Russo
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Fanale D, Amodeo V, Bazan V, Insalaco L, Incorvaia L, Barraco N, Castiglia M, Rizzo S, Santini D, Giordano A, Castorina S, Russo A. Can the microRNA expression profile help to identify novel targets for zoledronic acid in breast cancer? Oncotarget 2017; 7:29321-32. [PMID: 27081088 PMCID: PMC5045398 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.8722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/31/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Zoledronic acid (ZOL), belonging to third generation bisphosphonate family, is a potent inhibitor of osteoclast-mediated bone resorption, widely used to effectively prevent osteolysis in breast cancer patients who develop bone metastases. Low doses of ZOL have been shown to exhibit a direct anticancer role, by inhibiting cell adhesion, invasion, cytoskeleton remodelling and proliferation in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. In order to identify the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways underlying the anticancer activity exerted by ZOL, we analyzed for the first time the microRNA expression profile in breast cancer cells. A large-scale microarray analysis of 377 miRNAs was performed on MCF7 cells treated with 10 μM ZOL for 24 h compared to untreated cells. Furthermore, the expression of specific ZOL-induced miRNAs was analyzed in MCF-7 and SkBr3 cells through Real-time PCR. Low-dose treatment with ZOL significantly altered expression of 54 miRNAs. Nine upregulated and twelve downregulated miRNAs have been identified after 24 h of treatment. Also, ZOL induced expression of 11 specific miRNAs and silenced expression of 22 miRNAs. MiRNA data analysis revealed the involvement of differentially expressed miRNAs in PI3K/Akt, MAPK, Wnt, TGF-β, Jak-STAT and mTOR signaling pathways, and regulation of actin cytoskeleton. Our results have been shown to be perfectly coherent with the recent findings reported in literature concerning changes in expression of some miRNAs involved in bone metastasis formation, progression, therapy resistance in breast cancer. In conclusion, this data supports the hypothesis that ZOL-induced modification of the miRNA expression profile contributes to the anticancer efficacy of this agent.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Fanale
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Valeria Amodeo
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Viviana Bazan
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Lavinia Insalaco
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Lorena Incorvaia
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Nadia Barraco
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Marta Castiglia
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Sergio Rizzo
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Daniele Santini
- University Campus Bio-Medico, Department of Medical Oncology, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Giordano
- Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Center for Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sergio Castorina
- Fondazione Mediterranea "G.B. Morgagni", Catania, Italy.,Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Antonio Russo
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Massihnia D, Galvano A, Fanale D, Perez A, Castiglia M, Incorvaia L, Listì A, Rizzo S, Cicero G, Bazan V, Castorina S, Russo A. Triple negative breast cancer: shedding light onto the role of pi3k/akt/mtor pathway. Oncotarget 2016; 7:60712-60722. [PMID: 27474173 PMCID: PMC5312414 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.10858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is one of the most widespread carcinoma and one of the main causes of cancer-related death worldwide, especially in women aged between 35 and 75 years. Among the different subtypes, triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by the total absence of the estrogen-receptor (ER) and progesteron-receptor (PR) expression as well as the lack of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) overexpression or gene amplification. These biological characteristics confer to TNBC a higher aggressiveness and relapse risk along with poorer prognosis compared to other subtypes. Indeed, 5-years survival rate is still low and almost all patients die, despite any adjuvant treatment which at moment represents the heading pharmacological approach. To date, several clinical trials have been designed to investigate the potential role of some molecular markers, such as VEGF, EGFR, Src and mTOR, for targeted treatments in TNBC. In fact, many inhibitors of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, frequently de-regulated in TNBC, are acquiring a growing interest and several inhibitors are in preclinical development or already in early phase clinical trials. In this Review, we investigated the role of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in TNBC patients, by summarizing the molecular features that led to the distinction of different histotypes of TNBC. Furthermore, we provided an overview of the inhibition mechanisms of the mTOR and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways, highlighting the importance of integrating biological and clinical data for the development of mTOR inhibitors in order to implement targeted therapies for TNBC patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Massihnia
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonio Galvano
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Daniele Fanale
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Alessandro Perez
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Marta Castiglia
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Lorena Incorvaia
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Angela Listì
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Sergio Rizzo
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Cicero
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Viviana Bazan
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Sergio Castorina
- Fondazione Mediterranea “G.B. Morgagni”, Catania, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Antonio Russo
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Massihnia D, Perez A, Bazan V, Bronte G, Castiglia M, Fanale D, Barraco N, Cangemi A, Di Piazza F, Calò V, Rizzo S, Cicero G, Pantuso G, Russo A. A headlight on liquid biopsies: a challenging tool for breast cancer management. Tumour Biol 2016; 37:4263-73. [DOI: 10.1007/s13277-016-4856-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2015] [Accepted: 01/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
|
15
|
Rizzolo P, Silvestri V, Falchetti M, Ottini L. Inherited and acquired alterations in development of breast cancer. APPLICATION OF CLINICAL GENETICS 2011; 4:145-58. [PMID: 23776375 PMCID: PMC3681186 DOI: 10.2147/tacg.s13226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, accounting for about 30% of all cancers. In contrast, breast cancer is a rare disease in men, accounting for less than 1% of all cancers. Up to 10% of all breast cancers are hereditary forms, caused by inherited germ-line mutations in "high-penetrance," "moderate-penetrance," and "low-penetrance" breast cancer susceptibility genes. The remaining 90% of breast cancers are due to acquired somatic genetic and epigenetic alterations. A heterogeneous set of somatic alterations, including mutations and gene amplification, are reported to be involved in the etiology of breast cancer. Promoter hypermethylation of genes involved in DNA repair and hormone-mediated cell signaling, as well as altered expression of micro RNAs predicted to regulate key breast cancer genes, play an equally important role as genetic factors in development of breast cancer. Elucidation of the inherited and acquired genetic and epigenetic alterations involved in breast cancer may not only clarify molecular pathways involved in the development and progression of breast cancer itself, but may also have an important clinical and therapeutic impact on improving the management of patients with the disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Piera Rizzolo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, "La Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Ottini L, Capalbo C, Rizzolo P, Silvestri V, Bronte G, Rizzo S, Russo A. HER2-positive male breast cancer: an update. BREAST CANCER (DOVE MEDICAL PRESS) 2010; 2:45-58. [PMID: 24367166 PMCID: PMC3846466 DOI: 10.2147/bctt.s6519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Although rare, male breast cancer (MBC) remains a substantial cause for morbidity and mortality in men. Based on age frequency distribution, age-specific incidence rate pattern, and prognostic factor profiles, MBC is considered similar to postmenopausal breast cancer (BC). Compared with female BC (FBC), MBC cases are more often hormonal receptor (estrogen receptor/progesterone receptor [ER/PR]) positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) negative. Treatment of MBC patients follows the same indications as female postmenopausal with surgery, systemic therapy, and radiotherapy. To date, ER/PR and HER2 status provides baseline predictive information used in selecting optimal adjuvant/neoadjuvant therapy and in the selection of therapy for recurrent or metastatic disease. HER2 represents a very interesting molecular target and a number of compounds (trastuzumab [Herceptin®; F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland] and lapatinib [Tykerb®, GlaxoSmithKline, London, UK]) are currently under clinical evaluation. Particularly, trastuzumab, a monoclonal antibody which selectively binds the extracellular domain of HER2, has become an important therapeutic agent for women with HER2-positive (HER2+) BC. Currently, data regarding the use of trastuzumab in MBC patients is limited and only few case reports exist. In all cases, MBC patients received trastuzumab concomitantly with other drugs and no severe toxicity above grade 3 was observed. However, MBC patients that would be candidate for trastuzumab therapy (ie, HER2+/ER+ or HER2+/ER- MBCs) represent only a very small percentage of MBC cases. This is noteworthy, when taking into account that trastuzumab is an important and expensive component of systemic BC therapy. Since there is no data supporting the fact that response to therapy is different for men or women, we concluded that systemic therapy in MBC should be considered on the same basis as for FBC. Particularly in male patients, trastuzumab should be considered exclusively for advanced disease or high-risk HER2+ early BCs. On the other hand, lapatinib (Tykerb), a novel oral dual tyrosine kinase inhibitor that targets both HER2 and epidermal growth factor receptor, may represent an interesting and promising therapeutic agent for trastuzumab-resistant MBC patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Ottini
- Department of experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Piera Rizzolo
- Department of experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Silvestri
- Department of experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Bronte
- Department of Surgical and Oncological Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Sergio Rizzo
- Department of Surgical and Oncological Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonio Russo
- Department of Surgical and Oncological Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Calò V, Bruno L, Paglia LL, Perez M, Margarese N, Gaudio FD, Russo A. The Clinical Significance of Unknown Sequence Variants in BRCA Genes. Cancers (Basel) 2010; 2:1644-60. [PMID: 24281179 PMCID: PMC3837329 DOI: 10.3390/cancers2031644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2010] [Revised: 07/08/2010] [Accepted: 08/31/2010] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Germline mutations in BRCA1/2 genes are responsible for a large proportion of hereditary breast and/or ovarian cancers. Many highly penetrant predisposition alleles have been identified and include frameshift or nonsense mutations that lead to the translation of a truncated protein. Other alleles contain missense mutations, which result in amino acid substitution and intronic variants with splicing effect. The discovery of variants of uncertain/unclassified significance (VUS) is a result that can complicate rather than improve the risk assessment process. VUSs are mainly missense mutations, but also include a number of intronic variants and in-frame deletions and insertions. Over 2,000 unique BRCA1 and BRCA2 missense variants have been identified, located throughout the whole gene (Breast Cancer Information Core Database (BIC database)). Up to 10-20% of the BRCA tests report the identification of a variant of uncertain significance. There are many methods to discriminate deleterious/high-risk from neutral/low-risk unclassified variants (i.e., analysis of the cosegregation in families of the VUS, measure of the influence of the VUSs on the wild-type protein activity, comparison of sequence conservation across multiple species), but only an integrated analysis of these methods can contribute to a real interpretation of the functional and clinical role of the discussed variants. The aim of our manuscript is to review the studies on BRCA VUS in order to clarify their clinical relevance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Calò
- Department of Surgery and Oncology, Regional Reference Center for the Biomolecular Characterization and Genetic Screening of Hereditary Tumors, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 127, 90127 Palermo, Italy; E-Mails: (V.C.); (L.B.); (L.L.P.); (M.P.); (N.M.)
| | - Loredana Bruno
- Department of Surgery and Oncology, Regional Reference Center for the Biomolecular Characterization and Genetic Screening of Hereditary Tumors, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 127, 90127 Palermo, Italy; E-Mails: (V.C.); (L.B.); (L.L.P.); (M.P.); (N.M.)
| | - Laura La Paglia
- Department of Surgery and Oncology, Regional Reference Center for the Biomolecular Characterization and Genetic Screening of Hereditary Tumors, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 127, 90127 Palermo, Italy; E-Mails: (V.C.); (L.B.); (L.L.P.); (M.P.); (N.M.)
| | - Marco Perez
- Department of Surgery and Oncology, Regional Reference Center for the Biomolecular Characterization and Genetic Screening of Hereditary Tumors, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 127, 90127 Palermo, Italy; E-Mails: (V.C.); (L.B.); (L.L.P.); (M.P.); (N.M.)
| | - Naomi Margarese
- Department of Surgery and Oncology, Regional Reference Center for the Biomolecular Characterization and Genetic Screening of Hereditary Tumors, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 127, 90127 Palermo, Italy; E-Mails: (V.C.); (L.B.); (L.L.P.); (M.P.); (N.M.)
| | - Francesca Di Gaudio
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies and Legal Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy; E-Mail: (F.D.G.)
| | - Antonio Russo
- Department of Surgery and Oncology, Regional Reference Center for the Biomolecular Characterization and Genetic Screening of Hereditary Tumors, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 127, 90127 Palermo, Italy; E-Mails: (V.C.); (L.B.); (L.L.P.); (M.P.); (N.M.)
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: ; Tel: +39-091-6552500; Fax: +39-091-6554529
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Abstract
Detection of mutations in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer-related BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes is an effective method of cancer prevention and early detection. Different ethnic and geographical regions have different BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation spectrum and prevalence. Along with the emerging targeted therapy, demand and uptake for rapid BRCA1/2 mutations testing will increase in a near future. However, current patients selection and genetic testing strategies in most countries impose significant lag in this practice. The knowledge of the genetic structure of particular populations is important for the developing of effective screening protocol and may provide more efficient approach for the individualization of genetic testing. Elucidating of founder effect in BRCA1/2 genes can have an impact on the management of hereditary cancer families on a national and international healthcare system level, making genetic testing more affordable and cost-effective. The purpose of this review is to summarize current evidence about the BRCA1/2 founder mutations diversity in European populations.
Collapse
|
19
|
Ottini L, Rizzolo P, Zanna I, Falchetti M, Masala G, Ceccarelli K, Vezzosi V, Gulino A, Giannini G, Bianchi S, Sera F, Palli D. BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation status and clinical-pathologic features of 108 male breast cancer cases from Tuscany: a population-based study in central Italy. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2008; 116:577-86. [DOI: 10.1007/s10549-008-0194-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2008] [Accepted: 09/10/2008] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
|