Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Familial breast cancer: double heterozygosity for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations with differing phenotypes

  • Published:
Familial Cancer Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The co-existence of mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes is unusual, and to date almost all cases reported have had at least one of the Ashkenazi founder mutations. We report on a family in whom individuals are double heterozygotes for a mutation in BRCA1 and a novel splice site mutation in BRCA2. The phenotypes are discordant, where one sister has had multiple cancers in the BRCA spectrum, while the other is unaffected at 65 years of age. The utility of testing is discussed, and the completion of diagnostic testing despite the finding of a potentially causal mutation is validated.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hall JM, Lee MK, Newman B, Morrow JE, Anderson LA, Huey B, King MC (1990) Linkage of early-onset familial breast cancer to chromosome 17q21. Science 250:1684–1689

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Miki Y, Swensen J, Shattuck-Eidens D, Futreal PA, Harshman K, Tavtigian S, Lui Q, Cochran C, Bennett LM, Ding W, Bell R, Rosenthal J, Hussey C, Tran T, McClure M, Frye C, Hattier T, Phelps R, Haugen-Strano A, Katcher H, Yakumo K, Gholami Z, Shaffer D, Stone S, Bayer S, Wray C, Bogden R, Dayananth P, Ward J, ToninP, Narod S, Bristow Pk, Norris FH, Helvering L, Morrison P, Rosteck P, Lai M, Barrett JC, Lewis C, Neuhausen S, Cannon-Albright I, Goldgar D, Wiseman R, Kamb A, Skolnick MH (1994) A strong candidate for the breast and ovarian susceptibility gene BRCA1. Science 266:66–71

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Ford D, Easton DF, Bishop DT, Narod SA, Goldgar DE (1994) Risks of cancer in BRCA1-mutation carriers. Breast cancer linkage consortium. Lancet 343:692–695

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Wooster R, Neuhausen SL, Mangion J, Quirk Y, Ford D, Collins N, Nguyen K, Seal S, Tran T, Averill D (1994) Localization of a breast cancer susceptibility gene, BRCA2, to chromosome 13q12-13. Science 265: 2088–2090

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Wooster R, Bignell G, Lancaster J, Swift S, Seal S, Mangion J, Collins N, Gregory S, Gumbs C, Micklem G, Stratton M (1995) Identification of the breast susceptibility gene BRCA2. Nature 378:789–792

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. The Breast Cancer Linkage Consortium (1999) Cancer Risks in BRCA2 mutaion carriers. J Natl Cancer Inst 91:1310–1316

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Welcsh PL, King MC (2001) BRCA1 and BRCA2 in the genetics of breast and ovarian cancer. Hum Mol Genet 10(7):705–713

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Hopper JL, Southey MC, Dite GS, Jolley DL, Giles GG, McCredie MR, Easton DF, Venter DJ (1999) Population-based estimate of the average age-specific cumulative risk of breast cancer for a defined set of protein-truncating mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2. Australian Breast Cancer Family Study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 8:741–747

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Frank TS, Deffenbaugh AM, Reid JE, Hulick M, Ward BE, Lingenfelter B, Gumpper KL, Scholl T, Tavtigian SV, Pruss DR, Critchfield GC (2002) Clinical characteristics of individuals with germline mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2: analysis of 10,000 individuals. J Clin Oncol 20:1480–1490

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Schubert EL, Metford HC, Dann JL, Argonza RH, Hull J, King MC (1997) BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in Ashkenazi Jewish families with breast and ovarian cancer. Genet Test 1(1):41–46

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Smith A, Moran A, Boyd MC, Bulman M, Shenton A, Smith L, Idenden R, Woodward ER, Lalloo F, Maher ER, Evans DGR (2006) Phenocopies in BRCA1 and BRCA2 families: evidence for modifier genes and implications for screening. J Med Genet 0:1–6

    Google Scholar 

  12. Leegte B, Van der Hout AH, Deffenbaugh AM, Bakker MK, Mulder IM, Berge A, Leenders EP, Wesseling J, De Hullu J, Hoogerbrugge N, Ligtenberg MJL, Ardern-Jones A, Bancroft E, Salmon E, Barwell J, Eeles R, Oosterwijk JC (2005) Phenotypic expression of double heterzygosity for BRCA1 and BRCA2 germline mutations. J Med Genet 42(3):e20

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Choi DH, Lee MH, Haffty BG (2006) Double heterozygotes for non-Caucasian families with mutations in BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 genes. Breast J 12(3):216–220

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. James PA, Doherty R, Harris M, Mukesh B, Milner A, Young M-A, Scott C (2006) Optimal selection of individuals for BRCA mutation testing: a comparison of available methods. JCO 24(4):707–715

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Breast cancer information core (BIC) database: http://research.nhgri.nih.gov/bic/

  16. Antoniou A, Pharoah P, Narod S et al (2003) Average risks of breast and ovarian cancer associated with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations detected in case series unselected for family history: a combined analysis of 22 studies. Am J Hum Genet 72(5):1117–1130

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Niell B, Rennert G, Bonner J et al (2004) BRCA 1 and 2 founder mutations and the risk of colorectal cancer. JNCI 96(1):15–21

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The Familial Cancer Clinic is supported by the Department of Human Services, VIC, Australia. Thanks to Maureen Ralph for administrative support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ingrid Winship.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Smith, M., Fawcett, S., Sigalas, E. et al. Familial breast cancer: double heterozygosity for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations with differing phenotypes. Familial Cancer 7, 119–124 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10689-007-9154-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10689-007-9154-8

Keywords

Navigation