Abstract PO1-20-07: Valosin-containing protein (VCP)/p97: A novel breast cancer susceptibility gene?
Authors: LeVee Alexis , Sturgeon Duveen , Mortimer Joanne , McDonnell Kevin 
Published: May 2024

Introduction: Mutations in the valosin-containing protein (VCP, also known as p97) gene are associated with autosomal dominant inclusion-body myopathy with early-onset Paget disease and frontotemporal dementia. VCP is an ATPase that subserves a variety of cellular functions, prominently, organelle biogenesis and ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation. Recently, VCP has also been shown to physically interact with BRCA1 and is postulated to orchestrate the response to DNA double-strand breaks, a critical molecular prelude to homologous recombination DNA repair. Moreover, VCP is also involved in the removal of trapped poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase 1 (PARP1) from chromatin and may play a key role in the response of tumor cells to PARP inhibitors. Whether VCP acts as a breast cancer predisposition gene is currently unknown. These observations raise speculation as to whether pathologic variation in VCP may predispose to breast cancer. Case Description: A 45-year-old female presented with early-age, locally advanced invasive ductal carcinoma, grade 2, ER &lt; 1%, PR 10%, HER2 IHC 3+, FISH ratio 5.4. The patient completed 6 cycles of neoadjuvant PTH and was surgically downstaged to ypT1bN1a at the time of her left mastectomy. She declined adjuvant radiation. She received 1 dose of trastuzumab emtansine which was discontinued due to intolerance and transitioned to complete 1 year of adjuvant trastuzumab and pertuzumab. Her medical history is significant for inclusion body myopathy with Paget disease of bone and/or frontotemporal dementia, which was diagnosed at age 36 after presenting with proximal muscle weakness. Bone scan was consistent with Paget’s disease and neurocognitive testing did not identify any abnormalities. Diagnosis was confirmed via whole genome germline sequencing which identified a pathogenic variant in VCP [c.463C &gt;G (p.Arg155Gly)]. Germline resequencing of 155 known cancer predisposition genes did not identify any pathogenic variants. Whole exome genomic analysis of the patient’s breast cancer revealed an elevated homologous recombination score ( &gt; 42), consistent with molecularly important role of VCP in homologous recombination breast cancer DNA repair. The patient’s family history is significant for muscular dystrophy in multiple family members on her paternal side, each of whom was deceased prior to age 60. Her paternal half-sister has both inclusion body myopathy and breast cancer, and her paternal cousin was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 46 (unknown genetic testing for each). No history of cancer on her maternal side. Discussion: This case raises the intriguing question of whether the VCP gene represents a heretofore unrecognized breast cancer predisposition gene. Further investigation into the role of VCP in tumorigenesis is warranted, and additional population studies are necessary to confirm VCP’s role in breast cancer predisposition. Given that cancers with homologous recombination deficiencies benefit from PARP inhibitors and VCP is involved in the function of the PARP1 protein, patients with mutations in the VCP gene may benefit from PARP inhibition.

Citation Format: Alexis LeVee, Duveen Sturgeon, Joanne Mortimer, Kevin McDonnell. Valosin-containing protein (VCP)/p97: A novel breast cancer susceptibility gene? [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO1-20-07.