Breast and ovarian cancer predisposition due to de novo BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 are the two major genes predisposing to breast and ovarian cancer. Whereas high de novo mutation rates have been demonstrated for several genes, only 11 cases of de novo BRCA1/2 mutations have been reported to date and the BRCA1/2 de novo mutation rate remains unknown. The present study was designed to fill this gap based on a series of 12 805 consecutive unrelated patients diagnosed with breast and/or ovarian cancer who met the inclusion criteria for BRCA1/2 gene analysis according to French guidelines. BRCA1/2 mutations were detected in 1527 (12%) patients, and three BRCA1 mutations and one BRCA2 mutation were de novo. The BRCA1/2 de novo mutation rate was estimated to be 0.3% (0.1%; 0.7%). Although rare, it may be useful to take the possibility of de novo BRCA1/2 mutation into account in genetic counseling of relatives and to improve the understanding of complex family histories of breast and ovarian cancers.

High-resolution oligonucleotide array-CGH applied to the detection and characterization of large rearrangements in the hereditary breast cancer gene BRCA1.

We have developed a new method for detecting and characterizing large rearrangements in the BRCA1 gene based on high-resolution oligonucleotide array-CGH technology. We designed a specific CGH array for the BRCA1 gene and its flanking regions. We then used this approach to analyze nine DNA samples known to contain large deletions and large duplications. When possible, the deleted or duplicated region was sequenced to identify the break point. All the large rearrangements were detected by the new method, and their size was estimated to be within 1--2 kb. This enabled us to develop a simple polymerase chain reaction screening test for other family members. A refined choice of oligonucleotides should improve the precision of the breakpoint determination. Finally, the high resolution of oligonucleotide array-CGH should help to detect new large rearrangements missed by other current methods.