Clinical Characteristics of Laryngeal Cancer in BRCA-1 Mutation Carriers

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze the occurrence of clinical features characteristic of breast cancer type 1 susceptibility protein (BRCA-1)-dependent tumors in a series of BRCA-1 mutation carriers with laryngeal cancer. Patients and Methods: The clinical features of five laryngeal cancer patients with BRCA-1 mutations registered in our center were analyzed for: sex, age at diagnosis, age at operation, tumor size and localization, histopathological subtype and grading, lymph node and distant metastases, mode of treatment and long term results of the therapy. Results: The five patients were all men, with an average age at diagnosis of 52.4 years. The majority of the patients had clinical features typical of BRCA-1-dependent tumors: four out of the five patients had advanced staging at the time of diagnosis and in three of them the disorder disseminated within one year of follow-up. Conclusion: Since laryngeal carcinomas in men with BRCA-1 mutations show clinical features characteristic of BRCA-1 dependent tumors, it is reasonable to consider treatment modifications appropriate for this sub-group of tumors.