This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) eLetters: Submit a response to this article Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services E-mail this article link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints/Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by James, C. R. Articles by Harkin, D. P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by James, C. R. Articles by Harkin, D. P.

Breast Cancer

BRCA1, a Potential Predictive Biomarker in the Treatment of Breast Cancer

Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Key Words. BRCA1 • Breast cancer • Chemotherapy • Prognosis • Predictive marker • Sensitivity • Resistance

Correspondence: Professor D. Paul Harkin, Ph.D., Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen’s University Belfast, University Floor, Belfast City Hospital, Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7AB, Northern Ireland, U.K. Telephone: (+44)289032 9241; Fax: (+44)289026 3744; e-mail: d.harkin{at}qub.ac.uk

To date, estrogen receptor, progestogen receptor, and HER2/neu represent molecular biomarkers currently used in routine clinical practice to aid treatment decisions. Over the last few years, a large body of preclinical and retrospective clinical data has accumulated that suggests that BRCA1 mutation functions as a novel predictive marker of response to chemotherapy. This article reviews the role of BRCA1 as a predictive marker of chemotherapy response in breast cancer and examines the link between BRCA1 deficiency and the basal-like phenotype.

Search strategy. Data for this article were identified through MEDLINE and PubMed searches for published reports using the terms BRCA1, breast cancer, basal-like, chemotherapy, prognosis, and predictive markers. In some cases, due to the restriction of space, readers are referred to review articles to allow further reading. Only articles published in English were included.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Kriege, C. Seynaeve, H. Meijers-Heijboer, J. M. Collee, M. B.E. Menke-Pluymers, C. C.M. Bartels, M. M.A. Tilanus-Linthorst, J. Blom, E. Huijskens, A. Jager, et al. Sensitivity to First-Line Chemotherapy for Metastatic Breast Cancer in BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutation Carriers J. Clin. Oncol., August 10, 2009; 27(23): 3764 - 3771. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				X. Xu, M. D. Gammon, J. G. Wetmur, P. T. Bradshaw, S. L. Teitelbaum, A. I. Neugut, R. M. Santella, and J. Chen B-Vitamin Intake, One-Carbon Metabolism, and Survival in a Population-Based Study of Women with Breast Cancer Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., August 1, 2008; 17(8): 2109 - 2116. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. A. Rakha, J. S. Reis-Filho, and I. O. Ellis Basal-Like Breast Cancer: A Critical Review J. Clin. Oncol., May 20, 2008; 26(15): 2568 - 2581. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. E. Quinn, C. R. James, G. E. Stewart, J. M. Mulligan, P. White, G. K.F. Chang, P. B. Mullan, P. G. Johnston, R. H. Wilson, and D. P. Harkin BRCA1 mRNA Expression Levels Predict for Overall Survival in Ovarian Cancer after Chemotherapy Clin. Cancer Res., December 15, 2007; 13(24): 7413 - 7420. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Goldhirsch, W. C. Wood, R. D. Gelber, A. S. Coates, B. Thurlimann, H. -J. Senn, and Panel Members Progress and promise: highlights of the international expert consensus on the primary therapy of early breast cancer 2007 Ann. Onc., July 1, 2007; 18(7): 1133 - 1144. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]