Abstract P6-12-08: Fertility interest, management and outcomes in young BRCA+ breast cancer survivors
Authors: Poorvu PD , Gelber SI , Ruddy KJ , Seiger K , Tamimi RM , Peppercorn J , Schapira L , Borges VF , Come SE , Partridge AH , Rosenberg SM 
Published: February 2018

Background: Young women with BRCA mutations may face fertility issues given the standard recommendation for risk-reducing oophorectomy after childbearing has been completed or before age 40. Potential transmission of the affected gene to future progeny may also be a concern. Little is known regarding the perspectives, management, and outcomes of young breast cancer survivors with BRCA mutations, who also face risks of recurrent disease and treatment effects on fertility.

Methods: As part of a multi-center, prospective cohort study of newly diagnosed breast cancer (BC) at age ≤40 years enrolling between 2006-2016, we identified women with stage I-III BC who had self-reported results of genetic testing. Participants are surveyed at baseline then annually regarding their breast cancer treatment, genetic testing, fertility interest, pregnancy attempts, and pregnancies. Chi-square tests were used to compare proportions of carriers vs non-carriers who were interested in future biologic children, took steps to preserve fertility, underwent bilateral oophorectomy, attempted pregnancy, and became pregnant in the 5 years following diagnosis.

Results: Carriers (n=104) and non-carriers (n=662) were similar in age and stage, but greater proportions of carriers had ER negative disease and received chemotherapy (Table 1). The proportion of carriers and non-carriers interested in future biologic children was similar prior to diagnosis (51% vs 38%; p=0.18), 1 year following diagnosis (30% vs 27%; p=0.44), and 5 years following diagnosis (14% vs 15%; p=0.26). Similar proportions of carriers (12%) and non-carriers (14%) took steps to prevent infertility prior to treatment. Greater proportions of carriers indicated that concern about having a child at higher risk of breast cancer affected their interest in future biologic children (15% vs 4%, p=0.02) and underwent bilateral oophorectomy (61% vs 9%, p&lt;0.0001), but there was no difference in rates of pregnancy attempts (15% vs 11%, p=0.62), or pregnancies (12% vs 8%, p=0.36) in the five years following diagnosis.

Conclusion: Young breast cancer survivors with known BRCA mutations have similar interest in future fertility and both attempt and become pregnant at similar rates to non-carriers in the five years following diagnosis. Impact of specific BRCA mutation (1 or 2), ER status of tumor, and timing of pregnancy attempts will be explored in future analyses.

Table 1: BRCA mutation carriers, n (%)Non-carriers, n (%)X2 p-valueAge  0.47&lt;3018 (17)86 (13) 31-3529 (28)201 (30) 36-4057 (55)375 (57) Stage  0.73I40 (39)260 (39) II46 (44)307 (46) III18 (17)95 (14) Partnered  0.44Yes77 (74)509 (77) No27 (26)148 (22) Missing0 (0)5 (1) Children pre-diagnosis  0.33Yes62 (60)427 (64) No42 (40)235 (36) Phenotype  &lt;0.0001ER and/or PR+48 (46)490 (74) ER and PR-56 (54)171 (26) Missing0 (0)1 (0) Adjuvant hormones  &lt;0.0001Yes44 (42)488 (74) No60 (58)174 (26) Chemotherapy  0.003Yes96 (92)529 (80) No8 (8)132 (2) Missing0 (0)1 (0) 

Citation Format: Poorvu PD, Gelber SI, Ruddy KJ, Seiger K, Tamimi RM, Peppercorn J, Schapira L, Borges VF, Come SE, Partridge AH, Rosenberg SM. Fertility interest, management and outcomes in young BRCA+ breast cancer survivors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-12-08.