The BRCA mutation spectrum among breast and ovarian cancers in India: highlighting the need to screen BRCA1 185delAG among South Indians

Abstract

Mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 significantly elevate the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. Limited data exists regarding the prevalence of BRCA mutations, and optimal, cost-effective testing strategies in developing countries like India. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of a Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) panel for BRCA1/2 mutation testing among women diagnosed with, or at risk of developing hereditary breast and ovarian cancers. We also aimed to identify population specific BRCA1/2 mutation hotspots, to enable the development of more affordable testing strategies. We identified 921 patients with breast and ovarian cancer who underwent mutation testing. The target enrichment was followed by targeted NGS in 772 patients and an allele-specific PCR (ASPCR) based genotyping for BRCA1:c.68_69delAG (or 185delAG), was carried out in 149 patients. We identified 188 (20.4%) patients with BRCA1/2 variants: 118 (62.8%) with pathogenic/likely pathogenic and 70 (37.2%) with VUS. The 185delAG was identified as a recurrent mutation in the Southern Indian population, accounting for 24.6% of the pathogenic variants. In addition, a family history of breast, ovary, pancreas, or prostate (BOPP) cancer was found to be associated with an increased risk of identifying a deleterious BRCA1/2 variant [OR = 2.11 (95% CI 1.45-3.07) p ≤ 0.001]. These results suggest that Targeted NGS is a sensitive and specific strategy for BRCA testing. For Southern Indian patients, a two-tiered approach can be considered: Initial screening with ASPCR for BRCA1 185delAG followed by NGS for those testing negative. Expanding the gene panel and identifying other population-specific mutation hot spots is a promising area with potential for improvements in testing and treatment strategies.