Population prevalence of individuals meeting criteria for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer testing.

Greenberg S1, Buys SS1,2, Edwards SL3, Espinel W1, Fraser A1, Gammon A1, Hafen B4, Herget KA3, Kohlmann W1, Roundy C5, Sweeney C1,2,3.

Author information

1: Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
2: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
3: Utah Cancer Registry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
4: Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, Utah.
5: Utah Department of Health, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Personal cancer diagnosis and family cancer history factor into which individuals should undergo genetic testing for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) syndrome. Family history is often determined in the research setting through kindreds with disease clusters, or clinically from self-report. The population prevalence of individuals with diagnostic characteristics and/or family cancer history meeting criteria for HBOC testing is unknown.

METHODS:

Utilizing Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cancer registry data and a research resource linking registry records to genealogies, the Utah Population Database, the population-based prevalence of diagnostic and family history characteristics meeting National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) criteria for HBOC testing was objectively assessed.

RESULTS:

Among Utah residents with an incident breast cancer diagnosis 2010-2015 and evaluable for family history, 21.6% met criteria for testing based on diagnostic characteristics, but the proportion increased to 62.9% when family history was evaluated. The proportion of cases meeting testing criteria at diagnosis was 94% for ovarian cancer, 23% for prostate cancer, and 51.1% for pancreatic cancer. Among an unaffected Utah population of approximately 1.7 million evaluable for family history, 197,601 or 11.6% met testing criteria based on family history.

CONCLUSIONS:

This study quantifies the population-based prevalence of HBOC criteria using objectively determined genealogy and cancer incidence data. Sporadic breast cancer likely represents a portion of the high prevalence of family cancer history seen in this study. These results underline the importance of establishing presence of a deleterious mutation in an affected family member, per NCCN guidelines, before testing unaffected relatives.