Management of high, moderate, and low penetrance ovarian cancer susceptibility mutations: an assessment of current risk reduction practices

Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2020 Oct;30(10):1583-1588. doi: 10.1136/ijgc-2020-001536. Epub 2020 Aug 23.

Abstract

Objective: Limited information exists regarding risk reduction strategies for women with moderate and low penetrance ovarian cancer susceptibility mutations. We sought to assess current risk reduction practice patterns for carriers of these mutations through a survey of members of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology.

Methods: Society of Gynecologic Oncology members were emailed a survey consisting of two vignettes: (1) a 35-year-old premenopausal woman; (2) a 55-year-old postmenopausal woman with comorbidities. Each vignette contained sub-scenarios in which the patient had either a BRCA1 (relative risk (RR)=30-60), RAD51C (RR=5.0), or ATM (RR=1.5-2.0) mutation. Respondents were queried about their preferred management approach. Summary statistics were performed to describe results of the survey. We used χ2 testing for statistical analyses, comparing results according to mutation type and demographic information.

Results: A total of 193 (15%) of 1284 Society of Gynecologic Oncology members responded. For the premenopausal woman, 99%, 80%, and 40% would perform a risk reducing salpingo-oophorectomy prior to menopause in the setting of a BRCA1, RAD51C, and ATM mutation, respectively. For the postmenopausal woman, 98%, 85%, and 42% would proceed with risk reducing salpingo-oophorectomy in the setting of a BRCA1, RAD51C, and ATM mutation, respectively. Response distribution for carriers of RAD51C and ATM mutations were different from BRCA1 in both vignettes (p<0.001).

Conclusions: Respondents were more likely to perform risk reducing salpingo-oophorectomy, in the setting of a BRCA1, RAD51C, and ATM mutation, earlier and more frequently in the setting of a BRCA1 mutation. However, there was a lack of consensus about management of the moderate and low penetrance mutations, suggesting that more data regarding age specific risks and appropriate risk reduction strategies for these alterations are needed.

Keywords: ovarian cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins
  • Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial / prevention & control*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Female
  • Germ-Line Mutation
  • Gynecology / methods*
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / genetics
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / prevention & control*
  • Practice Patterns, Physicians' / statistics & numerical data
  • Risk Factors
  • Salpingo-oophorectomy / statistics & numerical data
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • RAD51C protein, human
  • BRAP protein, human
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
  • ATM protein, human
  • Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins