Germline BRCA2 mutation is associated with greater progression-free survival in korean women with advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer

Purpose: In this study, the effect of a germline BRCA1/2 mutation on survival outcomes in Korean patients with advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer was investigated. Methods: This multicenter retrospective study involved six Korean institutions that included 63 patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stages IIIC or IV high-grade serous ovarian cancer, diagnosed surgically between January 2010 and December 2015, and who had undergone a BRCA mutation test during their follow-up period. Median progression-free survival and 5-year overall survival were measured and compared according to BRCA1/2 mutation status using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Of 63 patients, 28 (44.4%) patients with germline BRCA1/2 mutations were identified. Nineteen (30.2%) patients were identified with a germline BRCA1 mutation, and nine (14.3%) patients with a germline BRCA2 mutation. The median progression-free survival of patients with wild-type BRCA, or a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation was 15, 17 and 37 months, respectively. Wild-type BRCA and germline BRCA2 mutation groups showed a significant difference in progression-free survival (p = 0.009); however, a significant difference was not found between wild-type BRCA and germline BRCA1 mutation groups (p = 0.262). Five-year overall survival rates of patients with wild-type BRCA, or a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation were 65.9%, 67.5% and 87.5%, respectively; significant differences was not found between the three groups. Conclusion: In Patients with advanced high grade serous ovarian cancer, germline BRCA2 mutation group showed a significantly longer median progression-free survival compared to wild-type BRCA group. Five-year overall survival rates were not significantly different among the three groups.