Acute skin toxicity in Korean breast cancer patients carrying BRCA mutations

Purpose: In contrast to in vitro studies, most clinical trials testing the radiosensitivity of BRCA (Breast cancer susceptibility gene) mutations do not find a correlation between BRCA status and enhanced radiosensitivity. These trials include different ethnicities, and there is a lack of clinical data on BRCA1/2 mutation carriers and radiosensitivity in non-Caucasian patients. The goal of this study was to investigate acute skin toxicity, as a part of radiosensitivity, in breast cancer patients with BRCA1/2 mutations. Material and methods: BRCA mutation analysis was performed for 213 patients who underwent breast-conserving therapy using radiotherapy. Skin toxicity was scored according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) criteria during treatment and during one-month follow-up after radiation therapy. Results: Forty-six patients had BRCA1/2 mutations and 57 patients showed higher than grade 2 (RTOG) skin toxicity. In multivariate analysis, significant associations were found between mean breast volume and acute skin toxicity. BRCA mutation status, however, failed to show a significant correlation. Conclusions: Our results indicate that carriers of BRCA1/2 mutations among non-Caucasian breast cancer patients showed no enhancement in radiation sensitivity. Multiple genetic markers may be correlated with normal tissue responses after radiotherapy. Further studies are needed to identify genetic predispositions to normal tissue responses after radiotherapy.