Validation of the BOADICEA model in a prospective cohort of BRCA1/2 pathogenic variant carriers.

BACKGROUND: No validation has been conducted for the BOADICEA multifactorial breast cancer risk prediction model specifically in BRCA1/2 pathogenic variant (PV) carriers to date. Here, we evaluated the performance of BOADICEA in predicting 5-year breast cancer risks in a prospective cohort of BRCA1/2 PV carriers ascertained through clinical genetic centres. METHODS: We evaluated the model calibration and discriminatory ability in the prospective TRANsIBCCS cohort study comprising 1614 BRCA1 and 1365 BRCA2 PV carriers (209 incident cases). Study participants had lifestyle, reproductive, hormonal, anthropometric risk factor information, a polygenic risk score based on 313 SNPs and family history information. RESULTS: The full multifactorial model considering family history together with all other risk factors was well calibrated overall (E/O=1.07, 95% CI: 0.92 to 1.24) and in quintiles of predicted risk. Discrimination was maximised when all risk factors were considered (Harrell's C-index=0.70, 95% CI: 0.67 to 0.74; area under the curve=0.79, 95% CI: 0.76 to 0.82). The model performance was similar when evaluated separately in BRCA1 or BRCA2 PV carriers. The full model identified 5.8%, 12.9% and 24.0% of BRCA1/2 PV carriers with 5-year breast cancer risks of <1.65%, <3% and <5%, respectively, risk thresholds commonly used for different management and risk-reduction options. CONCLUSION: BOADICEA may be used to aid personalised cancer risk management and decision-making for BRCA1 and BRCA2 PV carriers. It is implemented in the free-access CanRisk tool (https://www.canrisk.org/).

Associations of height, body mass index, and weight gain with breast cancer risk in carriers of a pathogenic variant in BRCA1 or BRCA2: the BRCA1 and BRCA2 Cohort Consortium.

INTRODUCTION: Height, body mass index (BMI), and weight gain are associated with breast cancer risk in the general population. It is unclear whether these associations also exist for carriers of pathogenic variants in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: An international pooled cohort of 8091 BRCA1/2 variant carriers was used for retrospective and prospective analyses separately for premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Cox regression was used to estimate breast cancer risk associations with height, BMI, and weight change. RESULTS: In the retrospective analysis, taller height was associated with risk of premenopausal breast cancer for BRCA2 variant carriers (HR 1.20 per 10 cm increase, 95% CI 1.04-1.38). Higher young-adult BMI was associated with lower premenopausal breast cancer risk for both BRCA1 (HR 0.75 per 5 kg/m2, 95% CI 0.66-0.84) and BRCA2 (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.65-0.89) variant carriers in the retrospective analysis, with consistent, though not statistically significant, findings from the prospective analysis. In the prospective analysis, higher BMI and adult weight gain were associated with higher postmenopausal breast cancer risk for BRCA1 carriers (HR 1.20 per 5 kg/m2, 95% CI 1.02-1.42; and HR 1.10 per 5 kg weight gain, 95% CI 1.01-1.19, respectively). CONCLUSION: Anthropometric measures are associated with breast cancer risk for BRCA1 and BRCA2 variant carriers, with relative risk estimates that are generally consistent with those for women from the general population.

First estimates of diffuse gastric cancer risks for carriers of CTNNA1 germline pathogenic variants.

BACKGROUND: Pathogenic variants (PV) of CTNNA1 are found in families fulfilling criteria for hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC) but no risk estimates were available until now. The aim of this study is to evaluate diffuse gastric cancer (DGC) risks for carriers of germline CTNNA1 PV. METHODS: Data from published CTNNA1 families were updated and new families were identified through international collaborations. The cumulative risk of DGC by age for PV carriers was estimated with the genotype restricted likelihood (GRL) method, taking into account non-genotyped individuals and conditioning on all observed phenotypes and genotypes of the index case to obtain unbiased estimates. A non-parametric (NP) and the Weibull functions were used to model the shape of penetrance function with the GRL. Kaplan-Meier incidence curve and standardised incidence ratios were also computed. A 'leave-one-out' strategy was used to evaluate estimate uncertainty. RESULTS: Thirteen families with 46 carriers of PV were included. The cumulative risks of DGC at 80 years for carriers of CTNNA1 PV are 49% and 57%, respectively with the Weibull GRL and NP GRL methods. Risk ratios to population incidence reach particularly high values at early ages and decrease with age. At 40 years, they are equal to 65 and 833, respectively with the Weibull GRL and NP GRL. CONCLUSION: This is the largest series of CTNNA1 families that provides the first risk estimates of GC. These data will help to improve management and surveillance for these patients and support inclusion of CTNNA1 in germline testing panels.

Diagnostic chest X-rays and breast cancer risk among women with a hereditary predisposition to breast cancer unexplained by a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation.

BACKGROUND: Diagnostic ionizing radiation is a risk factor for breast cancer (BC). BC risk increases with increased dose to the chest and decreases with increased age at exposure, with possible effect modification related to familial or genetic predisposition. While chest X-rays increase the BC risk of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers compared to non-carriers, little is known for women with a hereditary predisposition to BC but who tested negative for a BRCA1 or BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) mutation. METHODS: We evaluated the effect of chest X-rays from diagnostic medical procedures in a dataset composed of 1552 BC cases identified through French family cancer clinics and 1363 unrelated controls. Participants reported their history of X-ray exposures in a detailed questionnaire and were tested for 113 DNA repair genes. Logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression models were used to assess the association with BC. RESULTS: Chest X-ray exposure doubled BC risk. A 3% increased BC risk per additional exposure was observed. Being 20 years old or younger at first exposure or being exposed before first full-term pregnancy did not seem to modify this risk. Birth after 1960 or carrying a rare likely deleterious coding variant in a DNA repair gene other than BRCA1/2 modified the effect of chest X-ray exposure. CONCLUSION: Ever/never chest X-ray exposure increases BC risk 2-fold regardless of age at first exposure and, by up to 5-fold when carrying 3 or more rare variants in a DNA repair gene. Further studies are needed to evaluate other DNA repair genes or variants to identify those which could modify radiation sensitivity. Identification of subpopulations that are more or less susceptible to ionizing radiation is important and potentially clinically relevant.

Gene- and pathway-level analyses of iCOGS variants highlight novel signaling pathways underlying familial breast cancer susceptibility.

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in over 180 loci have been associated with breast cancer (BC) through genome-wide association studies involving mostly unselected population-based case-control series. Some of them modify BC risk of women carrying a BRCA1 or BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) mutation and may also explain BC risk variability in BC-prone families with no BRCA1/2 mutation. Here, we assessed the contribution of SNPs of the iCOGS array in GENESIS consisting of BC cases with no BRCA1/2 mutation and a sister with BC, and population controls. Genotyping data were available for 1281 index cases, 731 sisters with BC, 457 unaffected sisters and 1272 controls. In addition to the standard SNP-level analysis using index cases and controls, we performed pedigree-based association tests to capture transmission information in the sibships. We also performed gene- and pathway-level analyses to maximize the power to detect associations with lower-frequency SNPs or those with modest effect sizes. While SNP-level analyses identified 18 loci, gene-level analyses identified 112 genes. Furthermore, 31 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and 7 Atlas of Cancer Signaling Network pathways were highlighted (false discovery rate of 5%). Using results from the "index case-control" analysis, we built pathway-derived polygenic risk scores (PRS) and assessed their performance in the population-based CECILE study and in a data set composed of GENESIS-affected sisters and CECILE controls. Although these PRS had poor predictive value in the general population, they performed better than a PRS built using our SNP-level findings, and we found that the joint effect of family history and PRS needs to be considered in risk prediction models.

Parental disclosure of positive BRCA1/2 mutation status to children 10 years after genetic testing.

The disclosure of genetic information is an important issue in cancer prevention. This study based on a French national cohort of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers (GENEPSO-PS cohort, N=233) aimed to assess the prevalence of parental disclosure of genetic information to children 10 years after genetic testing, with a focus on gender differences. Most participants (n = 193, 131 women) reported having children. A total of 72.0% of offspring had received genetic information (88.8% for adult offspring, p < .001), with no differences according to the gender of the mutation-carrying parent. While female carriers disclosed genetic information more often than male carriers (54.1% versus 38.3%, p = .029), they did so irrespective of the gender of their offspring. Moreover, female carriers who had developed incident cancer after genetic testing disclosed genetic information more frequently than unaffected female carriers (70.7% versus 48.5%, p = .005). A multivariate analysis confirmed the effects of both gender and cancer on disclosure to offspring. The same results were obtained when the analysis was restricted to adult offspring. This study reveals high rates of disclosure of positive BRCA1/2 mutation status to children 10 years after genetic testing, irrespective of the gender of the carrier/offspring. However, female carriers disclosed genetic information more frequently than male carriers.

Familial breast cancer and DNA repair genes: Insights into known and novel susceptibility genes from the GENESIS study, and implications for multigene panel testing.

Pathogenic variants in BRCA1 and BRCA2 only explain the underlying genetic cause of about 10% of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer families. Because of cost-effectiveness, multigene panel testing is often performed even if the clinical utility of testing most of the genes remains questionable. The purpose of our study was to assess the contribution of rare, deleterious-predicted variants in DNA repair genes in familial breast cancer (BC) in a well-characterized and homogeneous population. We analyzed 113 DNA repair genes selected from either an exome sequencing or a candidate gene approach in the GENESIS study, which includes familial BC cases with no BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation and having a sister with BC (N = 1,207), and general population controls (N = 1,199). Sequencing data were filtered for rare loss-of-function variants (LoF) and likely deleterious missense variants (MV). We confirmed associations between LoF and MV in PALB2, ATM and CHEK2 and BC occurrence. We also identified for the first time associations between FANCI, MAST1, POLH and RTEL1 and BC susceptibility. Unlike other associated genes, carriers of an ATM LoF had a significantly higher risk of developing BC than carriers of an ATM MV (ORLoF = 17.4 vs. ORMV = 1.6; p Het = 0.002). Hence, our approach allowed us to specify BC relative risks associated with deleterious-predicted variants in PALB2, ATM and CHEK2 and to add MAST1, POLH, RTEL1 and FANCI to the list of DNA repair genes possibly involved in BC susceptibility. We also highlight that different types of variants within the same gene can lead to different risk estimates.

Uptake of genetic counseling among adult children of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers in France.

OBJECTIVE: Genetic counseling in at-risk families is known to improve cancer prevention. Our study aimed to determine the rate of uptake of genetic counseling among adult children of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers and to identify the potential psychosocial factors associated with uptake of genetic counseling. METHODS: A self-reported questionnaire was mailed to 328 BRCA1/2 mutation carriers 10 years after BRCA1/2 test disclosure. Of the 233 carriers who returned the questionnaire (response rate = 71%), 135 reported having children over age 18 years and were therefore included in the analysis. Generalized estimating equations models were used to identify the factors associated with uptake of genetic counseling among adult children of mutation carriers. RESULTS: Data were gathered for a total of 296 children (46% male, 54% female). The vast majority were informed about the familial mutation (90.9%) and 113 (38%; 95% CI, 32%-44%) underwent genetic counseling. This percentage exceeded 80% in women over 40 years. In the multivariate model, female sex, advanced age, mutation in the father, diagnosis of cancer in the mutation-carrying parent after genetic testing, and good family relationships were all factors associated with higher uptake of genetic counseling. CONCLUSIONS: Adult children of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers in France do not undergo genetic counseling sufficiently often. Further studies should be conducted on the psychosocial factors that hinder the uptake of genetic counseling among adult children of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers.

Bibliometric analysis of a century of research on oral erythroplakia and leukoplakia.

BACKGROUND: Oral squamous cell carcinoma is a major cause of cancer-associated morbidity and mortality and may develop from oral erythroplakia and leukoplakia (OEL), the most common oral potentially malignant lesions. Our objective was to provide a descriptive overview of the global research activity on OEL over the past decades. METHODS: We performed a systematic bibliometric analysis of articles and reviews on OEL up to December 31st 2016 using the SCOPUS database. Contribution of each country was analyzed by density-equalizing mapping (DEMP). The overall scientific productivity was analyzed for each journal and country. RESULTS: A total of 5098 published items (articles or reviews) were identified. They are expected to double by 2040, with an expected number of 400 items per year. Only 4% of all research on oral oncology is focused on OEL. Together with the increasing number of publications since 1980s, an increasing number of international collaborative studies were observed. Journal of Oral Pathology and Medicine and Oral Oncology are the leading journals in terms of number of published items. The US, India, and the UK were the most prolific countries in terms of publications overtime. CONCLUSIONS: We identified the leading journals as well as the leading authors and countries contributing to the research on OEL. International collaborative studies in the field are to be encouraged to refine strategies of oral cancer prevention.

Efficacy of anthracycline/taxane-based neo-adjuvant chemotherapy on triple-negative breast cancer in BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation carriers.

This study aims to estimate the pathologic complete response (pCR) rate after neo-adjuvant chemotherapy and to compare disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) between pCR and non-pCR groups of patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and deleterious BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. We carried out a retrospective analysis of 53 patients including 46 BRCA1, 6 BRCA2, and 1 combined BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation. All patients had been diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) between 1997 and 2014. Neo-adjuvant therapy consisted of regimens that were based on anthracycline or an anthracycline-taxane doublet. DFS included any relapse or second cancer. The Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test were used to compare pCR and non-pCR groups. A pCR was observed in 23 (42.6% [95% CI, 29.2%-56.8%]) of the TNBC included. The pCR rate was 38.3% [95% CI, 26%-55%] among BRCA1 mutation carriers, and 66% among the 6 BRCA2 mutation carriers. Median follow-up was 4.4 years (range 0.62-16.2 years) and did not differ between the groups (P = .25). Fifteen relapses and six second cancers were recorded during the follow-up period. Eleven deaths occurred, all of which were in the non-pCR group. DFS (P < .01) and OS (P < .01) were significantly better in the pCR group than the non-pCR group. This study shows a high pCR rate after neo-adjuvant therapy in BRCA-mutated triple-negative breast cancer, and the survival results confirm the prognostic value of pCR in this group. These outcomes should be considered as a basis of comparison to be used by future studies about new therapies in this domain.

Risks of Breast, Ovarian, and Contralateral Breast Cancer for BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutation Carriers.

Importance: The clinical management of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers requires accurate, prospective cancer risk estimates. Objectives: To estimate age-specific risks of breast, ovarian, and contralateral breast cancer for mutation carriers and to evaluate risk modification by family cancer history and mutation location. Design, Setting, and Participants: Prospective cohort study of 6036 BRCA1 and 3820 BRCA2 female carriers (5046 unaffected and 4810 with breast or ovarian cancer or both at baseline) recruited in 1997-2011 through the International BRCA1/2 Carrier Cohort Study, the Breast Cancer Family Registry and the Kathleen Cuningham Foundation Consortium for Research into Familial Breast Cancer, with ascertainment through family clinics (94%) and population-based studies (6%). The majority were from large national studies in the United Kingdom (EMBRACE), the Netherlands (HEBON), and France (GENEPSO). Follow-up ended December 2013; median follow-up was 5 years. Exposures: BRCA1/2 mutations, family cancer history, and mutation location. Main Outcomes and Measures: Annual incidences, standardized incidence ratios, and cumulative risks of breast, ovarian, and contralateral breast cancer. Results: Among 3886 women (median age, 38 years; interquartile range [IQR], 30-46 years) eligible for the breast cancer analysis, 5066 women (median age, 38 years; IQR, 31-47 years) eligible for the ovarian cancer analysis, and 2213 women (median age, 47 years; IQR, 40-55 years) eligible for the contralateral breast cancer analysis, 426 were diagnosed with breast cancer, 109 with ovarian cancer, and 245 with contralateral breast cancer during follow-up. The cumulative breast cancer risk to age 80 years was 72% (95% CI, 65%-79%) for BRCA1 and 69% (95% CI, 61%-77%) for BRCA2 carriers. Breast cancer incidences increased rapidly in early adulthood until ages 30 to 40 years for BRCA1 and until ages 40 to 50 years for BRCA2 carriers, then remained at a similar, constant incidence (20-30 per 1000 person-years) until age 80 years. The cumulative ovarian cancer risk to age 80 years was 44% (95% CI, 36%-53%) for BRCA1 and 17% (95% CI, 11%-25%) for BRCA2 carriers. For contralateral breast cancer, the cumulative risk 20 years after breast cancer diagnosis was 40% (95% CI, 35%-45%) for BRCA1 and 26% (95% CI, 20%-33%) for BRCA2 carriers (hazard ratio [HR] for comparing BRCA2 vs BRCA1, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.47-0.82; P=.001 for difference). Breast cancer risk increased with increasing number of first- and second-degree relatives diagnosed as having breast cancer for both BRCA1 (HR for ≥2 vs 0 affected relatives, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.41-2.82; P<.001 for trend) and BRCA2 carriers (HR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.08-3.37; P=.02 for trend). Breast cancer risk was higher if mutations were located outside vs within the regions bounded by positions c.2282-c.4071 in BRCA1 (HR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.11-1.93; P=.007) and c.2831-c.6401 in BRCA2 (HR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.36-2.74; P<.001). Conclusions and Relevance: These findings provide estimates of cancer risk based on BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carrier status using prospective data collection and demonstrate the potential importance of family history and mutation location in risk assessment.

GENESIS: a French national resource to study the missing heritability of breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Less than 20% of familial breast cancer patients who undergo genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 carry a pathogenic mutation in one of these two genes. The GENESIS (GENE SISter) study was designed to identify new breast cancer susceptibility genes in women attending cancer genetics clinics and with no BRCA1/2 mutation. METHODS: The study involved the French national network of family cancer clinics. It was based on enrichment in genetic factors of the recruited population through case selection relying on familial criteria, but also on the consideration of environmental factors and endophenotypes like mammary density or tumor characteristics to assess potential genetic heterogeneity. One of the initial aims of GENESIS was to recruit affected sibpairs. Siblings were eligible when index cases and at least one affected sister were diagnosed with infiltrating mammary or ductal adenocarcinoma, with no BRCA1/2 mutation. In addition, unrelated controls and unaffected sisters were recruited. The enrolment of patients, their relatives and their controls, the collection of the clinical, epidemiological, familial and biological data were centralized by a coordinating center. RESULTS: Inclusion of participants started in February 2007 and ended in December 2013. A total of 1721 index cases, 826 affected sisters, 599 unaffected sisters and 1419 controls were included. 98% of participants completed the epidemiological questionnaire, 97% provided a blood sample, and 76% were able to provide mammograms. Index cases were on average 59 years old at inclusion, were born in 1950, and were 49.7 years of age at breast cancer diagnosis. The mean age at diagnosis of affected sisters was slightly higher (51.4 years). The representativeness of the control group was verified. CONCLUSIONS: The size of the study, the availability of biological specimens and the clinical data collection together with the detailed and complete epidemiological questionnaire make this a unique national resource for investigation of the missing heritability of breast cancer, by taking into account environmental and life style factors and stratifying data on endophenotypes to decrease genetic heterogeneity.

Disclosure of research results: a randomized study on GENEPSO-PS cohort participants.

BACKGROUND: There exist no recommendations as to how aggregate research results should best be disclosed to long-term cohort participants. OBJECTIVE: To study the impact of cohort results disclosure documents of various kinds on participants' satisfaction. DESIGN: Randomized study with a 2x2 factorial design. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: The GENEPSO-PS cohort is used to study the psychosocial characteristics and preventive behaviour of both BRCA1/2 carriers and non-carriers; 235 participants wishing to receive 'information about the survey results' answered a self-administered questionnaire. INTERVENTIONS: The impact of providing the following items in addition to a leaflet about aggregate psychosocial research results was investigated (i) an up-to-date medical information sheet about BRCA1/2 genetic topics, (ii) a photograph with the names of the researchers. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Satisfaction profiles drawn up using cluster analysis methods. RESULTS: Providing additional medical and/or research team information had no significant effect on satisfaction. The patients attributed to the 'poorly satisfied' group (n = 60, 25.5%) differed significantly from those in the 'highly satisfied' group (n = 51, 21.7%): they were younger [odds ratio (OR) = 0.96, 95% confidence interval (0.92-0.99), P = 0.028], less often had a daughter [OR = 4.87 (1.80-13.20), P = 0.002], had reached a higher educational level [OR = 2.94 (1.24-6.95), P = 0.014] and more frequently carried a BRCA1/2 mutation [OR = 2.73 (1.20-6.23), P = 0.017]. CONCLUSIONS: This original approach to disclosing research results to cohort participants was welcomed by most of the participants, but less by the more educated and by BRCA1/2 carriers. Although an easily understandable document is necessary, it might also be worth providing some participants with more in-depth information.

Mutation analysis of PALB2 gene in French breast cancer families.

Several population-based and family-based studies have demonstrated that germline mutations of the PALB2 gene (Partner and Localizer of BRCA2) are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Distinct mutation frequencies and spectrums have been described depending on the population studied. Here we describe the first complete PALB2 coding sequence screening in the French population. We screened the complete coding sequence and intron-exon boundaries of PALB2, using the EMMA technique, to assess the contribution of pathogenic mutations in a set of 835 familial breast cancer cases and 662 unrelated controls from the French national study GENESIS and the Paul Strauss Cancer Centre, all previously tested negative for BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathogenic mutations. Our analysis revealed the presence of four novel deleterious mutations: c.1186insT, c.1857delT and c.2850delC in three cases, c.3418dupT in one control. In addition, we identified two in-frame insertion/deletion, 19 missense substitutions (two of them predicted as pathogenic), 9 synonymous variants, 28 variants located in introns and 2 in UTRs, as well as frequent variants. Truncating PALB2 mutations were found in 0.36% of familial breast cancer cases, a frequency lower than the one detected in comparable studies in other populations (0.73-3.40%). This suggests a small but significant contribution of PALB2 mutations to the breast cancer susceptibility in the French population.

Cigarette smoking in women after BRCA1/2 genetic test disclosure: a 5-year follow-up study of the GENEPSO PS cohort.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to measure patients' smoking patterns for 5 years after BRCA1/2 test result disclosure. METHODS: A national cohort consisting of 621 French cancer-free women from families with BRCA1/2 mutations (mean age (SD): 40.5 years (11.5 years)) were included from December 1999 to January 2006, before disclosure of genetic test results, and followed for 5 years. They completed self-administered questionnaires about their cigarette smoking behaviors before receiving their test results (baseline) and 6, 12, 24, and 60 months after disclosure. Multivariate statistical analyses of the changes in participants' smoking behaviors were performed using a zero-inflated Poisson mixed model. RESULTS: Baseline smoking was found to depend on age, educational level, marital status, alcohol consumption, body mass index, and cancer risk perception. The zero-inflated part of the model showed the occurrence of no significant changes in the percentage of smokers during the 5 years after disclosure of the BRCA1/2 test results; however, daily smoking among BRCA1/2 carriers decreased significantly compared with that of noncarriers (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.83; (95% confidence interval: 0.69-0.99); P = 0.04) after adjusting for baseline smoking behavior. CONCLUSION: It would be worth investigating the possibility of counseling women during the genetic testing process about the multiple risk factors involved in cancer, such as genetic and lifestyle factors.

"Maybe they have found something new" participants' views on returning cohort psychosocial survey results.

BACKGROUND: Although greater attention is currently being paid to participants in research, no studies have dealt so far with the issue of returning aggregate psychosocial results to cohort participants. OBJECTIVE: (i) To explore participants' views about disclosure of the aggregate results of a French national psychosocial cohort survey on the epidemiology of preventive behaviour in women from families with a hereditary breast cancer risk. (ii) To assess whether it is worth consulting participants before designing the disclosure process. DESIGN: A qualitative study using semi-structured face-to-face interviews and a thematic analysis based on Grounded Theory methods. PARTICIPANTS: Nineteen interviews were conducted with cancer-free female BRCA mutation carriers/non-carriers aged 31-79 who had participated in a cohort survey by answering self-administered questionnaires. RESULTS: Participants showed considerable interest in the issue of result disclosure. The preferences expressed about disclosure were rarely relevant to the topic investigated, however, as they often focused on medical knowledge about BRCA and not on the psychosocial findings obtained. This confusion may have been due to the participants' experience of the survey procedures, including its longitudinal nature, the occurrence of very few interactions with the investigators and the wide range of topics addressed in the questionnaires. CONCLUSION: Investigators should ascertain participants' expectations and preferences by consulting them before disclosing the results obtained. Although the disclosure process may not meet participants' expectations completely, consultation is the key to preventing them from having irrealistic expectations about the information they are going to receive.

Which factors predict proposal and uptake of psychological counselling after BRCA1/2 test result disclosure?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to prospectively determine the factors contributing to whether unaffected women from BRCA1/2 families reported that clinicians proposed psychological consultations and that they had attended these consultations during the genetic testing process. METHODS: A prospective study was performed on a national cohort, using self-administered questionnaires to determine the rates of proposal and use of psychological services at the time of BRCA1/2 test result disclosure (N = 533) and during the first year after disclosure (N = 478) among unaffected French women from BRCA1/2 families who had undergone genetic testing for BRCA1/2. Multivariate adjustment was carried out using logistic regression models fitted using generalized estimation equations, with the genetic testing centre as the clustering variable. RESULTS: At the time of BRCA1/2 test result disclosure, a psychological consultation was proposed by cancer geneticists to 72% and 32% of the carriers (N = 232) and noncarriers (N = 301), respectively (p < 0.001). One year after disclosure, 21% of the carriers had consulted a psychologist, versus 9% of the noncarriers (p < 0.001). Both the proposal and the uptake depended on the women's BRCA1/2 mutation carrier status (proposal adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 4.9; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.4-7.2; uptake AOR: 2.2; 95% CI 1.2-4.0), their level of education (proposal AOR: 1.7; 95% CI 1.1-2.7; uptake AOR: 4.5; 95% CI 1.7-12.1) and the distress they experienced about their genetic test results (proposal AOR: 1.02; 95% CI 1.01-1.03; uptake AOR: 1.04; 95% CI 1.02-1.06) CONCLUSIONS: Determinants of the proposal/uptake of psychological consultations in the BRCA1/2 testing process highlight the need for inventive strategies to reach the different types of women's profiles.

The intentions of French health university students to recommend and to receive the HPV vaccine are mainly influenced by vaccine knowledge, confidence in vaccines and personal HPV vaccination.

INTRODUCTION: Despite documented effectiveness in preventing several cancers, genital warts and safety of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, immunization coverage among French adolescents remains far from the 80 % target. University health students (HS) in France may promote HPV vaccine through a national service (Service Sanitaire des Etudiants en Santé). We aimed to evaluate intentions to recommend the HPV vaccine to friends and relatives, to receive HPV vaccine, and to identify factors associated with these attitudes. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in five French Universities from October 2019 to February 2020, using a self-administered online questionnaire. We used bivariable and multivariable logistic regression models to identify determinants of behavior around HPV vaccine: (i) individual intention for vaccination, and (ii) vaccine recommendation to friends and relatives. RESULTS: Among the 732 respondents (180 men, 552 women), 305 (41.7%) reported previous HPV vaccination (54.5 % among women), 504 (68.9%) would recommend the HPV vaccine to friends and relatives, 532 (72.7%) respondents would be vaccinated today if it was recommended for them. Intentions to recommend or to receive the HPV vaccine were less frequent in nursing students compared to medical and pharmacy students. After adjustment for demographical factors, HPV vaccine knowledge was associated with intention [aOR 1.30 (95%-confidence interval, 1.15-1.47)] and recommendation [1.26 (1.10-1.45)], respectively. Additionally, adjusting for knowledge about HPV infections, and confidence in vaccines in general was associated with vaccine intention [1.55, (1.30-1.84)] and recommendation [1.52 (1.24-1.86)]. HPV-vaccinated HS were more prone to recommend the HPV vaccine to friends and relatives [10.9 (6.6-17.9)]. CONCLUSION: A majority of HS would accept and/or recommend HPV vaccines. HS with greater knowledge about the HPV vaccine were more prone to recommend it. Strengthening knowledge about HPV and its vaccination is probably necessary before their Involvement in a HPV immunization program.

An Integrated Cancer Prevention Strategy: the Viewpoint of the Leon Berard Comprehensive Cancer Center Lyon, France.

This article describes some of the key prevention services in the Leon Berard Comprehensive Cancer Center (CLB) Lyon, France, which are based on clinical prevention services, outreach activities, and collaboration with professional and territorial health communities. In addition, research is embedded at all stages of the prevention continuum, from understanding cancer causes through to the implementation of prevention interventions during and after cancer. Health promotion activities in the community and dedicated outpatient primary cancer prevention services for individuals at increased risk have been implemented. The CLB's experience illustrates how prevention can be integrated into the comprehensive mission of cancer centers, and how in turn, the cancer centers may contribute to bridging the current fragmentation between cancer care and the different components of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. With increasing cancer incidence, the shift toward integrated prevention-centered cancer care is not only key for improving population health, but this may also provide a response to the shortage of hospital staff and overcrowding in cancer services, as well as offer opportunities to reduce carbon emissions from cancer care.

Common variants of the BRCA1 wild-type allele modify the risk of breast cancer in BRCA1 mutation carriers.

Mutations in the BRCA1 gene substantially increase a woman's lifetime risk of breast cancer. However, there is great variation in this increase in risk with several genetic and non-genetic modifiers identified. The BRCA1 protein plays a central role in DNA repair, a mechanism that is particularly instrumental in safeguarding cells against tumorigenesis. We hypothesized that polymorphisms that alter the expression and/or function of BRCA1 carried on the wild-type (non-mutated) copy of the BRCA1 gene would modify the risk of breast cancer in carriers of BRCA1 mutations. A total of 9874 BRCA1 mutation carriers were available in the Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2 (CIMBA) for haplotype analyses of BRCA1. Women carrying the rare allele of single nucleotide polymorphism rs16942 on the wild-type copy of BRCA1 were at decreased risk of breast cancer (hazard ratio 0.86, 95% confidence interval 0.77-0.95, P = 0.003). Promoter in vitro assays of the major BRCA1 haplotypes showed that common polymorphisms in the regulatory region alter its activity and that this effect may be attributed to the differential binding affinity of nuclear proteins. In conclusion, variants on the wild-type copy of BRCA1 modify risk of breast cancer among carriers of BRCA1 mutations, possibly by altering the efficiency of BRCA1 transcription.