Ten-Year Follow-Up of Women at High Risk for Familial Breast and Ovarian Cancer in Otago and Southland, New Zealand

BACKGROUND

Care for families affected by Familial Breast and Ovarian Cancer (FBOC) is challenging as a broad range of professions and specialties are involved. The aim was to review management and outcomes for a cohort of women at high risk for familial breast and ovarian cancer.

METHODS

Ten-year retrospective follow-up study of individuals in Southern New Zealand  assessed by Genetic Health Service New Zealand to be high risk for FBOC and without a personal cancer diagnosis at time of consultation.

RESULTS

Twenty women were identified; twelve underwent genetic testing, and a pathogenic BRCA variant was identified in eleven. Eight women had no testing, as no index case was available. Guidelines had been fully adhered to in 55% of women, regardless of BRCA status. Six did not undergo appropriate breast surveillance. To date, seven of the 11 patients who tested positive for a pathogenic BRCA variant (64%) had risk-reducing surgeries. Two women were diagnosed with breast cancer on surveillance imaging; none were diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Four women were lost to follow-up, one of whom subsequently presented with a symptomatic breast cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, this is the first study providing long-term data for FBOC in New Zealand. Overall, guidelines were followed satisfactorily, but some women did not receive appropriate surveillance or referrals. An integrated interdisciplinary long-term care provision model in New Zealand might help to address gaps in FBOC surveillance and management.

Risks, Benefits, and Effects on Management for Biopsy of the Papilla in Patients With Familial Adenomatous Polyposis

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Ampullary and duodenal cancer are the leading causes of death in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) after colectomy has been performed. Risk of duodenal cancer is determined based on Spigelman stage (SS) of duodenal polyposis. Guidelines recommend endoscopic surveillance of the duodenum and visualization of the papilla to stage duodenal polyposis. There is no consensus on whether biopsies should be routinely collected from duodenal papilla and findings included in SS. Additionally, there are no data on the risk of pancreatitis after biopsy collection from papilla of patients with FAP. We studied the incidence of pancreatitis after biopsy of the papilla in patients with FAP and effects of biopsy findings on SS.

METHODS

We identified consecutive patients with FAP at a single center from January 2011 through December 2018 with ≥1 endoscopy with biopsy of the papilla. Patients with history of foregut surgery were excluded. We identified 273 patients with FAP who had biopsies collected from papilla over 792 EGDs, with 1-8 independent exams with biopsy per patient. We collected demographic, endoscopic, and histology data from patients and calculated SS with vs without biopsy findings. Post-procedural pancreatitis was defined by 2 of the following: abdominal pain, lipase level 3-fold the upper limit of normal, or radiography findings consistent with pancreatitis within 7 days of esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD).

RESULTS

Pancreatitis developed in 2 patients (0.73%): 1 after biopsy of a normal-appearing papilla and 1 after biopsy of an abnormal appearing papilla. Inclusions of biopsy data increased SS in 36 patients (13.2%), with consideration of prophylactic duodenectomy for 3.3%.

CONCLUSIONS

Pancreatitis after biopsy of the duodenal papilla is rare. Histology data obtained from biopsy of the papilla in patients with FAP can change SS and affect patient management.

Genetics and Genetic Testing in Hereditary Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains the third most common cancer affecting men and women in the United States. Approximately one-third of CRCs are diagnosed in individuals who have family members also affected with the disease. Although the vast majority of colorectal neoplasms develop as a consequence of somatic genomic alterations arising in individual cells, approximately 5% of all CRCs arise in the setting of germline mutations in genes involved in key cellular processes. To date, multiple genes have been implicated in single-gene hereditary cancer syndromes, many of which are associated with increased risk for CRC, as well as other tumor types. This review outlines the clinical, pathologic, and genetic features of the hereditary cancer syndromes known to be associated with increased risk for CRC and delineates strategies for implementing genetic risk assessments in clinical settings.