Evaluation of BRCA1/2 mutational status among German and Austrian women with triple-negative breast cancer

Purpose Testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in breast cancer patients is used to identify the risk of second primary cancers and the risk of cancer in the patients’ family. Women with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) are thought to be more likely to be BRCA1/2 mutation carriers, but most national guidelines for genetic testing, including those used in Germany and Austria, do not consider receptor triple negativity. Methods We determined the prevalence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations within a cohort of 100 unselected TNBC cases, including patients from Germany and Austria to identify those BRCA-positive patients with a masked family history and who would have been missed due to respective current national guidelines. Double-stranded Sanger sequencing of all exons of BRCA1 and BRCA2, respectively, was performed. Results We identified a total of 13 deleterious mutations in BRCA1 and a total of four deleterious mutations in BRCA2. The total rate of deleterious BRCA1/2 mutation carriers was 21 % in our cohort. Six novel mutations, including two deleterious mutations, have been identified, which have not been described in public mutation databases so far. According to current German and Austrian national guidelines for genetic testing, 38.1 and 52.4 %, respectively, of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers would have been overlooked. Conclusions We conclude that the prevalence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations is high in TNBC patients and that BRCA1/2 mutations are not restricted to young women or patients with a positive family history. Receptor triple negativity should therefore be considered in BRCA1/2 genetic testing guidelines.