Multinational prospective study of risks of cancer in women aged 50-75 years with BRCA pathogenic variants

In a multinational prospective study including 2211 women aged 50-75 years with BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants, 379 cancers (17.1%) were diagnosed during follow-up. Breast (n=186) and ovarian (n=45) were the most frequent cancers observed. For women who had both risk-reducing mastectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy before age 50, the risk of developing any cancer between age 50 and 75 was 9%. The authors conclude that women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 pathogenic variant have a high risk of cancer between the ages of 50 and 75 years and should be counselled appropriately.