Germline BRCA variants, lifestyle and ovarian cancer survival

Risk Factors for Ovarian Cancer by BRCA Status: A Collaborative Case-Only Analysis

BACKGROUND

Women with an inherited pathogenic variant in BRCA1 or BRCA2 have a greatly increased risk of developing ovarian cancer, but the importance of behavioral factors is less clear. We used a case-only design to compare the magnitude of associations with established reproductive, hormonal, and lifestyle risk factors between BRCA mutation carriers and noncarriers.

METHODS

We pooled data from five studies from the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium including 637 BRCA carriers and 4,289 noncarriers. Covariate-adjusted generalized linear mixed models were used to estimate interaction risk ratios (IRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), with BRCA (carrier vs. noncarrier) as the response variable.

RESULTS

IRRs were above 1.0 for known protective factors including ever being pregnant (IRR = 1.29, 95% CI; 1.00-1.67) and ever using the oral contraceptive pill (1.30, 95% CI; 1.07-1.60), suggesting the protective effects of these factors may be reduced in carriers compared with noncarriers. Conversely, the IRRs for risk factors including endometriosis and menopausal hormone therapy were below 1.0, suggesting weaker positive associations among BRCA carriers. In contrast, associations with lifestyle factors including smoking, physical inactivity, body mass index, and aspirin use did not appear to differ by BRCA status.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that associations with hormonal and reproductive factors are generally weaker for those with a pathogenic BRCA variant than those without, while associations with modifiable lifestyle factors are similar for carriers and noncarriers.

IMPACT

Advice to maintain a healthy weight, be physically active, and refrain from smoking will therefore benefit BRCA carriers as well as noncarriers.

The genomic and immune landscape of long-term survivors of high-grade serous ovarian cancer

Fewer than half of all patients with advanced-stage high-grade serous ovarian cancers (HGSCs) survive more than five years after diagnosis, but those who have an exceptionally long survival could provide insights into tumor biology and therapeutic approaches. We analyzed 60 patients with advanced-stage HGSC who survived more than 10 years after diagnosis using whole-genome sequencing, transcriptome and methylome profiling of their primary tumor samples, comparing this data to 66 short- or moderate-term survivors. Tumors of long-term survivors were more likely to have multiple alterations in genes associated with DNA repair and more frequent somatic variants resulting in an increased predicted neoantigen load. Patients clustered into survival groups based on genomic and immune cell signatures, including three subsets of patients with BRCA1 alterations with distinctly different outcomes. Specific combinations of germline and somatic gene alterations, tumor cell phenotypes and differential immune responses appear to contribute to long-term survival in HGSC.

Longitudinal analysis of ovarian cancer death patterns during a rapid transition period (2005-2020) in Shanghai, China: A population-based study

Objectives

It is important to assess the burden of ovarian cancer related premature death so as to develop appropriate evidence-based care and improve women’s health. This study aimed to characterize the long-term trends in mortality, survival and disease burden of ovarian cancer in Shanghai, China.

Materials and Methods

Co-morbidities, crude mortality rate (CMR), age-standardised mortality rate by Segi’s world standard population (ASMRW), years of life lost (YLL), and survival rates were analysed. Temporal trends for the mortality rates and disease burden were analyzed using the Joinpoint Regression Program. Mortality rate increases by demographic and non-demographic factors were estimated by the decomposition method.

Results

A total of 1088 ovarian cancer as underlying cause of deaths were recorded. CMR and ASMRW were 4.82/10⁵ and 2.32/10⁵ person-years, respectively. The YLL was 16372.96 years, and the YLL rate was 72.46/10⁵ person-years. The YLL rate increased only in the age group of 70-79 years (P = 0.017). The survival rates of ovarian cancer patients did not improve during the ten year period (2005-2015). The top co-morbidities were diseases of the respiratory system, digestive system, and circulatory system. The rates of ovarian cancer deaths caused by non-demographic and demographic factors increased by 21.29% (95%CI: 4.01% to 41.44%, P = 0.018) and 25.23% (95%CI: 14.64% to 36.81%, P < 0.001), respectively.

Conclusions

Population ageing and all cause of death may affect ovarian cancer related deaths in Pudong, Shanghai. The high mortality and the stagnant survival rates suggest the need for more efforts in targeted prevention and treatment of this disease.