Impact of BRCA Mutation Status on Survival of Women With Triple-negative Breast Cancer

The effect of germline BRCA mutations on the outcomes of patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is not well understood. The present retrospective study compared the overall survival and recurrence-free survival between BRCA ⁺ and BRCA ⁻ women with TNBC and did not find any differences. These findings have important implications when discussing the prognosis with BRCA mutation carriers with TNBC. Introduction: The effect of germline BRCA mutations on the outcomes of patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is not well understood. Materials and Methods: The present retrospective study included women with newly diagnosed TNBC from January 1, 2004 to December 30, 2013. The demographic and tumor characteristics, genetic testing results, and outcomes were collected by a review of the patients’ medical records. The outcomes were compared between the BRCA ⁺ and BRCA ⁻ women. Kaplan-Meier curves were plotted for survival analysis, and Cox proportional hazard regression was used to determine the predictors of recurrence-free survival. Results: A total of 266 TNBC patients who had undergone BRCA testing were included in the final analysis. Of the 266 patients, 72 (27.0%) tested positive for a pathogenic BRCA mutation and 194 (73.0%) tested negative. BRCA ⁺ women were more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age than were the BRCA ⁻ women. Mutation carriers were also more likely to undergo bilateral mastectomy and less likely to receive radiation. The 2- and 5-year overall survival in BRCA ⁺ women was 97.1% and 83.1% and was 97.3% and 89.7% in the BRCA ⁻ women, respectively. No statistically significant difference was found in overall survival between the BRCA ⁺ and BRCA ⁻ group. No statistically significant difference was noted in the rate of locoregional recurrence, distant recurrence, or recurrence-free survival between the BRCA ⁺ and BRCA ⁻ women. Conclusion: Our study has demonstrated that BRCA mutation carrier status does not affect overall survival or recurrence-free survival in patients with TNBC.