Emmanuelle Mouret-Fourme

miRNA expression profiling of inflammatory breast cancer identifies a 5‐miRNA signature predictive of breast tumor aggressiveness

IBC (inflammatory breast cancer) is a rare but very aggressive form of breast cancer with a particular phenotype. The molecular mechanisms responsible for IBC remain largely unknown. In particular, genetic and epigenetic alterations specific to IBC remain to be identified. MicroRNAs, a class of small noncoding RNAs able to regulate gene expression, are deregulated in breast cancer and may therefore serve as tools for diagnosis and prediction. This study was designed to determine miRNA expression profiling (microRNAome) in IBC. Quantitative RT‐PCR was used to determine expression levels of 804 miRNAs in a screening series of 12 IBC compared to 31 non‐stage‐matched non‐IBC and 8 normal breast samples. The differentially expressed miRNAs were then validated in a series of 65 IBC and 95 non‐IBC. From a set of 18 miRNAs of interest selected from the screening series, 13 were differentially expressed with statistical significance in the validation series of IBC compared to non‐IBC. Among these, a 5‐miRNA signature comprising miR‐421, miR‐486, miR‐503, miR‐720 and miR‐1303 was shown to be predictive for IBC phenotype with an overall accuracy of 89%. Moreover, multivariate analysis showed that this signature was an independent predictor of poor Metastasis‐Free Survival in non‐IBC patients.

Brain metastases from breast cancer: prognostic significance of HER-2 overexpression, effect of trastuzumab and cause of death

BackgroundTo access the prognostic significance of HER-2 overexpression, the effect of trastuzumab and the cause of death in patients with brain metastases (BM) from breast cancer (BC).MethodsWe analyzed the outcome of 130 patients with BM from BC who received whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) (without surgery or radiosurgery) between January 1998 and April 2006. Demographic data, tumor characteristics, and treatments were prospectively recorded. The impact of HER-2 overexpression and trastuzumab-based therapy on overall survival (OS) and the cause of death were evaluated.ResultsThe median follow-up for the whole population was 6.25 months (mean: 9.15; range: 0.23-53). The median survival time and 1-year survival rates after BM diagnosis were 7.43 months and 35.8% (95% CI: 28-45.7) respectively. The median survival time for HER-2 negative patients (n = 78), HER-2 positive patients not treated with trastuzumab (n = 20) and HER-2 positive patients treated with trastuzumab (n = 32) were 5.9 months, 5.6 months and 19.53 months, respectively. The 1-year survival rates were 26.1%, 29.2% and 62.6% respectively, (p < 0.004). Among the 18 HER-2 positive patients treated with trastuzumab who died, 11 (61%) apparently succumbed from CNS progression, in the face of stable or responsive non-CNS disease. Trastuzumab-based therapy was associated with a 51% reduction in the risk of death (multiadjusted hazard ratio: 0.49; 95% CI, 0.29-0.83).ConclusionsIn our experience, trastuzumab-based therapy for HER-overexpressing tumors was associated with improved survival in BM BC patients. This subgroup of patients may benefit from innovative approaches, in order to obtain better intra cerebral control.

Metachronous contralateral breast cancer as first event of relapse.

PURPOSE To determine which clinical, biological, or treatment-related factors of the first and second primary breast cancers influenced the outcome following contralateral breast carcinoma (CBC). METHODS AND MATERIALS By August 1994, 319 of 6406 patients with clinical Stage 0 to III breast carcinoma treated between 1981 and 1987 at Institut Curie had developed a second breast cancer that was diagnosed more than 6 months following ipsilateral breast cancer. Of these 319 patients, 235 had a CBC as the first recurrent event and constitute the study population. Comparisons of first and second breast tumor characteristics were done using Fishers exact test. Survival distributions from the date of CBC were compared by the log-rank test. Prognostic factors for local relapses, distant relapses, and survival after CBC were assessed by univariate and multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS The diagnosis of CBC was more frequently guided by mammographies than for ipsilateral tumors (p < 0.0001). The proportion of early stage tumors < or = T1 was significantly higher in the opposite breast as compared to the the first primary tumor (p < 0.0001). A greater rate of noninvasive tumors was observed in CBCs (p = 0.0003). Median follow-up time from the diagnosis of CBC was 54 months (1-137). Five-year survival following CBC was 79% (+/- 6). Five-year local (CBC breast or chest wall) and distant failure rates were 15 and 24%, respectively. Time interval to the occurrence of CBC (< 2 years, 2-5 years, > 5 years) had no influence on survival. Cox model analysis showed that the risk factors for distant metastases were stage and progesterone receptor levels of the contralateral tumor. The risk of distant failure in CBC was not influenced by the extent of surgery. CONCLUSIONS In this selected population of CBCs as first recurrent events, a follow-up policy based on clinical examination and annual mammography enabled the detection of CBCs at an earlier stage than the primary ipsilateral cancer. The outcome after CBC was determined only by the characteristics of the contralateral tumor. Breast-conserving treatment should be recommended when it is feasible. Adjuvant chemotherapy should be delivered according to the same criteria as the primary tumor.

BRCA1/2 carriers: their childbearing plans and theoretical intentions about having preimplantation genetic diagnosis and prenatal diagnosis

Purpose:To assess the impact of BRCA1/2 test results on carriers’ reproductive decision-making and the factors determining their theoretical intentions about preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and prenatal diagnosis (PND).Methods:Unaffected BRCA1/2 mutation carriers of childbearing age (N = 605; 449 women; 151 men) were included at least 1 year after the disclosure of their test results in a cross-sectional survey nested in a national cohort. Multivariate adjustment was performed on the data obtained in self-administered questionnaires.Results:Response rate was 81.0%. Overall, 32.5% and 50% said that they would undergo PGD/PND, respectively, at a theoretical next pregnancy, whereas only 12.1% found termination of pregnancy (TOP) acceptable. Theoretical intentions toward PGD did not depend on gender/age, but were higher among those with no future childbearing plans (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.5 (1.9–6.4)) and those having fewer relatives with cancer (AOR 1.5 95% CI (1.0–2.3)). Greater TOP acceptability was observed among males and those with lower educational levels; 85.4% of respondents agreed that information about PGD/PND should be systematically delivered with the test results.Conclusions:The closer to reproductive decision-making BRCA1/2 carriers are, i.e., when they are more likely to be making future reproductive plans, the less frequently they intend to have PGD. Carriers’ theoretical intentions toward PND are discussed further.Genet Med 2012:14(5):527–534

Variation in breast cancer risk associated with factors related to pregnancies according to truncating mutation location, in the French National BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations carrier cohort (GENEPSO)

IntroductionMutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 confer a high risk of breast cancer (BC), but the magnitude of this risk seems to vary according to the study and various factors. Although controversial, there are data to support the hypothesis of allelic risk heterogeneity.MethodsWe assessed variation in BC risk according to factors related to pregnancies by location of mutation in the homogeneous risk region of BRCA1 and BRCA2 in 990 women in the French study GENEPSO by using a weighted Cox regression model.ResultsOur results confirm the existence of the protective effect of an increasing number of full-term pregnancies (FTPs) toward BC among BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers (≥3 versus 0 FTPs: hazard ratio (HR) = 0.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.33 to 0.81). Additionally, the HR shows an association between incomplete pregnancies and a higher BC risk, which reached 2.39 (95% CI = 1.28 to 4.45) among women who had at least three incomplete pregnancies when compared with women with zero incomplete pregnancies. This increased risk appeared to be restricted to incomplete pregnancies occurring before the first FTP (HR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.19 to 2.63). We defined the TMAP score (defined as the Time of Breast Mitotic Activity during Pregnancies) to take into account simultaneously the opposite effect of full-term and interrupted pregnancies. Compared with women with a TMAP score of less than 0.35, an increasing TMAP score was associated with a statistically significant increase in the risk of BC (P trend = 0.02) which reached 1.97 (95% CI = 1.19 to 3.29) for a TMAP score >0.5 (versus TMAP ≤0.35). All these results appeared to be similar in BRCA1 and BRCA2. Nevertheless, our results suggest a variation in BC risk associated with parity according to the location of the mutation in BRCA1. Indeed, parity seems to be associated with a significantly decreased risk of BC only among women with a mutation in the central region of BRCA1 (low-risk region) (≥1 versus 0 FTP: HR = 0.27, 95% CI = 0.13 to 0.55) (Pinteraction <10-3).ConclusionsOur findings show that, taking into account environmental and lifestyle modifiers, mutation position might be important for the clinical management of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers and could also be helpful in understanding how BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are involved in BC.

Medullary breast carcinoma: Prognostic implications of p53 expression

Medullary breast carcinoma (MBC) is a rare pathological type of breast cancer. The rate of p53 protein accumulation is higher in MBC than in common invasive ductal carcinoma. Whether this particular feature of MBC influences the outcome after treatment is unknown. We retrospectively analyzed the characteristics, treatment and outcome of 71 patients with MBC treated between 1981 and 1996. The median age was 51 years (range 27-81) and the median clinical tumor size was 25 mm (range 0-70 mm). Breast-conserving treatment was offered when possible: 55 patients had undergone a tumorectomy and radiotherapy while 16 patients had undergone a mastectomy. p53 protein accumulation was determined by immunohistochemistry on paraffin-embedded tumor specimens from 58/71 samples available for this study. The median follow-up for the 56 survivors was 113 months (range 30-241). The 10-year survival and metastasis-free survival rates were 81% and 81.4%, respectively. The local recurrence rate was 16.4%. The two factors predicting outcome were pathological axillary node involvement in the 60 patients who underwent axillary dissection and adjuvant chemotherapy. p53 accumulation was found in 33/58 patients (57%). p53 status was not predictive of survival nor of distant or local recurrences. We confirm that medullary breast carcinoma has a favorable prognosis despite its aggressive pathological features. p53 protein accumulation, found in the majority of MBCs, was not related to outcome.

Breast Cancer Risk Associated with Estrogen Exposure and Truncating Mutation Location in BRCA1/2 Carriers

Background: Mutations in BRCA1/2 confer a high risk of breast cancer, but literature values of this risk vary. A genotype–phenotype correlation has been found in both genes, and the effect of reproductive factors differs according to mutation location. Therefore, we hypothesize that such a variation may exist for other factors related to estrogen exposure. Methods: We used a weighted Cox regression model to assess variation in breast cancer risk with these factors using location of mutation in homogeneous breast cancer risk region of BRCA1/2 in the GENEPSO study. Results: We found that late age at menarche reduced breast cancer risk by 31% and that among BRCA1 carriers, a long or a short menstrual cycle increased risk (by 65% and 73%, respectively). Among premenopausal women, overweight was associated with a 45% decrease in risk whereas underweight was associated with an increased risk (HR, 2.40). A natural menopause, mainly after age 50, was associated with a high breast cancer risk (HR, 2.46), and a significant interaction between menopause status and the location of mutations was found leading up to 10% variation in absolute risk according to the age at menopause. Conclusions: As observed in the general population, a late menarche, a long or a short menstrual cycle, over- or underweight, and being postmenopausal were associated with breast cancer risk in BRCA1/2 carriers. The association with the menopause was observed only when the mutation was located in the “high-risk” zones. Impact: Taking into account modifier factors, location of mutation might be important for the clinical management of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 24(4); 698–707. ©2015 AACR.

Which factors predict proposal and uptake of psychological counselling after BRCA1/2 test result disclosure?

The aim of this study is to prospectively determine the factors contributing to whether unaffected women from BRCA1/2 families reported that clinicians proposed psychological consultations and that they had attended these consultations during the genetic testing process.

Randomized phase 2 neoadjuvant trial evaluating anastrozole and fulvestrant efficacy for postmenopausal, estrogen receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative breast cancer patients: Results of the UNICANCER CARMINA 02 French trial (UCBG 0609).

Treatment strategies for locally advanced breast cancer in elderly patients too frail to receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy and the introduction of new classes of drugs in the early 2000s have led to the consideration of endocrine therapy as a neoadjuvant treatment for younger hormone receptor (HR)–positive, postmenopausal patients not eligible for primary breast‐conserving surgery (BCS).

Hereditary diffuse gastric cancer syndrome: improved performances of the 2015 testing criteria for the identification of probands with a CDH1 germline mutation

The international, consensus testing criteria for CDH1 germline mutations were recently revised in order to increase their performances, particularly their sensitivity. It is paramount to identify a high proportion of actual mutation carriers, as finding a mutation in a proband and subsequently in some of his relatives allows for risk-reducing recommendations regarding diffuse gastric cancer (DGC) and lobular breast cancer (LBC). We collected data on all French probands tested for CDH1 in a retrospective study on the hereditary DGC syndrome (HDGC). Out of 627 probands, 52 were carriers. We compared the new, 2015 version of these criteria to the 2010 version, and showed that both the sensitivity and the Youden index ( J ), an index that estimates the criteria discriminating power, increased. CDH1 is a tumour suppressor gene located on chromosome 16q22. It codes for the E-cadherin adhesion protein. Monoallelic germline mutations in CDH1 cause HDGC, in which carriers have a high lifetime risk of DGC (also called signet ring cell gastric cancer), and LBC (reviewed in ref. 1). In clinical practice, mutations are first identified in a proband with a personal history of DGC and/or LBC, and adult relatives are subsequently tested to see whether they also carry the mutation. Asymptomatic carriers are then advised to undergo risk-reducing gastrectomy, and for women annual breast cancer screening using MRI. The International Gastric Cancer Linkage Consortium defined clinical criteria warranting CDH1 germline testing in a proband. The criteria were first published in 1999 and then updated in 2010.2 ,3 A new 2015 version is being published in this issue of the Journal of Medical Genetics …