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Gene Mutations Increase Risk for Aggressive Prostate Cancer BRONX, NY -- January 30, 2009 -- Men who develop prostate cancer face an increased risk of having an aggressive tumour if they carry a so-called breast cancer gene mutation, according to a study published in the January 29 issue of the journal Clinical Cancer Research. The study involved 979 men with prostate cancer and 1,251 men without the disease. Researchers looked at whether participants carried mutations for either BRCA1 or BRCA2. They looked for the presence of 3 particular mutations -- 2 in BRCA1 and 1 in BRCA2. All participants were of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. Having any of the 3 mutations did not increase a man's risk of developing prostate cancer. However, for those men who did develop prostate cancer, 2 of the mutations -- BRCA1-185delAG and the mutated BRCA2 gene -- increased the risk that tumours would be aggressive or high-grade, as defined by a Gleason score of 7 or above. Specifically, patients with prostate cancer who had high-grade, aggressive tumours (Gleason scores >= 7) were 3.2 times more likely to carry the BRCA2 gene mutation than were men in the control group. Carriers of the BRCA1-185delAG mutation were also at increased risk of having an aggressive prostate cancer. Previous investigations into a possible link between prostate cancer risk and the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have yielded conflicting results, perhaps because they involved small numbers of subjects and lacked well-matched control groups. "Our large study shows conclusively that prostate cancer patients with either the BRCA2 gene mutation or the BRCA1-185delAG mutation are more susceptible to aggressive cancers than people without that mutation," said senior author Robert Burk, MD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Yeshiva University, Bronx, New York. However, routine genetic testing for BRCA mutations would not be justified for most men because the prevalence of the mutations in the general population is very low; and men with high Gleason scores already know that their prostate cancer is aggressive, said Dr. Burk. But the results have practical implications for some men -- especially for those of Ashkenazi Jewish descent -- who are diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancers as they most likely have these mutations. For that reason, said Dr. Burk, Ashkenazi men diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer might want to consider getting tested for the BRCA2 and BRCA1-185delAG mutations. Knowing they have the mutation may influence treatment options that patients pursue. SOURCE: Albert Einstein College of Medicine E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version