Publications (33)265.32 Total impact
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Article: [Lynch syndrome: when pathologist and clinician have the opportunity to reduce the risk of developing cancer].
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ABSTRACT: Lynch syndrome is an autosomal dominant disease associated with an important risk of cancer, mainly endometrial and colorectal-cancer. This risk can be efficiently lessen by an appropriate screening as far as the mutations carriers are identified. As current clinicopathological recommendations lack sensitivity, a systematic pre-screening of every patient with a colorectal or endometrial cancer can be proposed. Oncogenetic units of the HUG in Geneva and ICHV in Valais have set up a population-based study to evaluate the efficacy of such a strategy. Whatever the approach, the pathologist is directly implicated as Lynch syndrome harbors specific histological aspects that can help to its identification, but also as pre-screening tests are directly realized on tumor-tissue.Revue médicale suisse 07/2011; 7(303):1502-6. -
Article: Hormonal therapy for oestrogen receptor-negative breast cancer is associated with higher disease-specific mortality.
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ABSTRACT: Tamoxifen has a remarkable impact on the outcome of oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer. Without proven benefits, tamoxifen is occasionally prescribed for women with ER-negative disease. This population-based study aims to estimate the impact of tamoxifen on the outcome of ER-negative disease. We identified all women (n = 528) diagnosed with ER-negative invasive breast cancer between 1995 and 2005. With Cox regression analysis, we calculated breast cancer mortality risks of patients treated with tamoxifen compared with those treated without tamoxifen. We adjusted these risks for the individual probabilities (propensity scores) of having received tamoxifen. Sixty-nine patients (13%) with ER-negative disease were treated with tamoxifen. Five-year disease-specific survival for women treated with versus without tamoxifen were 62% [95% confidence interval (CI) 48% to 76%] and 79% (95% CI 75% to 83%), respectively (P(Log-rank) < 0.001). For ER-negative patients, risk of death from breast cancer was significantly increased in those treated with tamoxifen compared with patients treated without tamoxifen (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.7, 95% CI 1.1-2.9, P = 0.031). Our results show that patients with ER-negative breast cancer treated with tamoxifen have an increased risk of death from their disease. Tamoxifen use should be avoided for these patients.Annals of Oncology 01/2009; 20(5):857-61. · 6.43 Impact Factor -
Article: [Colorectal cancer: a risk-adapted screening and the role of the physician in the prevention of this cancer].
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ABSTRACT: The benefit of colorectal cancer screening in the average-risk population, as well as in the presence of high risk genetic predispositions, has been validated by a significant reduction of the mortality associated with the disease. Several screening options are recognized and compliance with these measures remains a public health problem. The physician plays a key role in the promotion of the colorectal cancer screening. Collecting a precise family history is crucial for the identification of individuals at high risk. Validated clinical criteria are helpful for the identification of individuals with a genetic predisposition to colorectal cancer. Molecular screening for the main colorectal cancer predisposing genes should now be integrated in the clinical management of these patients and their families.Revue médicale suisse 06/2006; 2(66):1314, 1316, 1318-23. -
Article: [Breast cancer screening different from that used for the general population: who is concerned and with which approach?].
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ABSTRACT: One of the major risk factors for developing breast cancer is a positive family history for this disease. A detailed family history is critical for breast cancer risk evaluation and for evaluation of the probability of a genetic predisposition to breast cancer in the family (the hereditary breast/ovarian cancer syndrome). Various models have been developed to evaluate these risks. The diagnosis of a low, moderate or high breast cancer risk is associated with adapted breast cancer screening procedures. Screening with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is recommended only for women identified as high risk. Genetic testing of the main breast cancer susceptibility genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, is now available in a clinical setting.Revue médicale suisse 06/2006; 2(66):1296-8, 1301-2, 1304-5. -
Article: Impact of familial risk factors on management and survival of early-onset breast cancer: a population-based study.
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ABSTRACT: This population-based study evaluates the impact of a strong family history of breast cancer on management and survival of women with early-onset disease. We identified all breast cancer patients </=50 years, recorded between 1990 and 2001 at the Geneva familial breast cancer registry. We compared patients at high familial risk and low familial risk in terms of tumour characteristics, method of detection, treatment, survival and breast cancer mortality risk. Compared to patients at low familial risk (n=575), those at high familial risk (n=58) received significantly more often systemic therapy, especially for node-negative or receptor-positive disease. Five-year disease-specific survival rates of patients at high vs low familial risk were 86 and 90%, respectively. After adjustment, there was no difference in breast cancer mortality in general. A strong family history nonsignificantly increased breast cancer mortality in patients </=40 years (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 4.0, 95% CI 0.8-19.7) and in patients treated without chemotherapy (adjusted HR 2.7, 95% CI 0.6-12.5). A strong family history of breast cancer is associated with an increased use of systemic therapy in early-onset patients. Although a strong family history does not seem to affect survival in general, it may impair survival of very young patients and patients treated without adjuvant chemotherapy. Owing to the limited number of patients in this study, these results should be used only to generate hypotheses.British Journal of Cancer 01/2006; 94(2):231-8. · 5.04 Impact Factor -
Article: Cyclin E expression in breast cancer: predicting germline BRCA1 mutations, prognosis and response to treatment.
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ABSTRACT: Elevated levels of the cell cycle protein cyclin E, and low levels of its inhibitor, p27(Kip1), have been associated with a poor prognosis following breast cancer. Some studies have found that germline mutations in the breast cancer susceptibility gene, BRCA1, are also associated with an inferior survival rate. The relationship between cyclin E/p27(Kip1) levels, BRCA1 status and outcome has not been studied in detail. We analyzed a historical cohort of 288 Ashkenazi Jewish women who were diagnosed with breast cancer between 1980 and 1995 and were previously tested for BRCA1/2 mutations. Protein levels of cyclin E and p27(Kip1) were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) was the main outcome measured. The median follow-up was 8 years. Thirty tumors carried germline BRCA1 mutations. These tumors were more likely to have high cyclin E protein levels [odds ratio (OR) 9.5; P <0.001] and low p27(Kip1) protein levels (OR 2.8; P=0.03) than tumors from patients without BRCA1/2 mutations. High cyclin E expression level was the strongest predictor of BRCA1 germline mutations (multivariate OR 4.7; P=0.004). On univariate analysis, high cyclin E protein levels [relative risk (RR) 2.6; P <0.001] and low p27(Kip1) protein levels (RR 2.3; P=0.006) were significant prognostic factors for a poorer BCSS. In Cox multivariate models, high cyclin E levels remained an independent indicator of poor outcome only in the subgroup of patients who did not receive chemotherapy (P=0.002). In this ethnically restricted cohort, a high level of cyclin E is a characteristic of BRCA1-related breast cancer, and is a marker of poor prognosis following breast cancer, particularly in the absence of adjuvant chemotherapy.Annals of Oncology 05/2005; 16(5):735-42. · 6.43 Impact Factor -
Article: Set-up of a population-based familial breast cancer registry in Geneva, Switzerland: validation of first results.
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ABSTRACT: This article evaluates the accuracy of family history of breast and ovarian cancer among first-degree relatives of breast cancer patients, retrospectively collected during the setting up of a population-based family breast cancer registry. Family histories of cancer for all women with breast cancer recorded at the Geneva Cancer Registry from 1990 to 1999 were retrospectively extracted from medical files. The accuracy of these family histories was validated among Swiss women born in Geneva: all 119 with a family history of breast (n = 110) or ovarian (n = 9) cancer and a representative sample of 100 women with no family history of breast or ovarian cancer. We identified the first-degree relatives of these women with information from the Cantonal Population Office. All first-degree relatives, resident in Geneva from 1970 to 1999, were linked to the cancer registry database for breast and ovarian cancer occurrence. Sensitivity, specificity and level of overall agreement (kappa) were calculated. Among 310 first-degree relatives identified, 61 had breast cancer and six had ovarian cancer recorded at the Geneva Cancer Registry. The sensitivity, specificity and kappa of the reported family histories of breast cancer were 98%, 97% and 0.97, respectively. For ovarian cancer, the sensitivity, specificity and kappa were 67%, 99%, and 0.66, respectively. This study indicates that retrospectively obtained family histories are very accurate for breast cancer. For ovarian cancer, family histories are less precise and may need additional verification.Annals of Oncology 03/2004; 15(2):350-3. · 6.43 Impact Factor -
Article: Glomeruloid microvascular proliferation is associated with p53 expression, germline BRCA1 mutations and an adverse outcome following breast cancer.
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ABSTRACT: Glomeruloid microvascular proliferation (GMP) in breast cancer independently adversely affected survival (relative risk 1.9, 95% CI: 1.2-3.0), particularly among women who received adjuvant chemotherapy (10-year survival 27 vs 69%, P=0.0003), and was significantly associated with p53 overexpression and BRCA1 germline mutations. The presence of GMP may influence treatment decisions.British Journal of Cancer 10/2003; 89(6):1031-4. · 5.04 Impact Factor -
Article: Constitutional alterations of the ATM gene in early onset sporadic breast cancer.
Journal of Medical Genetics 11/2002; 39(10):751-3. · 6.36 Impact Factor -
Article: A significant response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in BRCA1/2 related breast cancer.
Journal of Medical Genetics 09/2002; 39(8):608-10. · 6.36 Impact Factor -
Article: Change in the penetrance of founder BRCA1/2 mutations? A retrospective cohort study.
Journal of Medical Genetics 07/2002; 39(6):407-9. · 6.36 Impact Factor -
Article: Molecular and clinical characteristics in 32 families affected with familial adenomatous polyposis.
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ABSTRACT: Germ-line mutations in the 5' half of the Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (APC) gene are found in about 80% of the patients affected with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). The vast majority of these are nonsense or frameshift mutations which result in the loss of the carboxyl terminus of the APC protein. Using an in vivo assay in yeast, we have identified pathogenic germ-line mutations in 26 of 32 (81%) unrelated Swiss families affected with FAP. Nine mutations were novel and eight families were shown to harbor two recurrent mutations. Correlations were attempted between the location of APC germ-line mutations and clinical manifestations of the disease.Human Mutation 01/2002; 18(6):550. · 5.69 Impact Factor -
Article: Re: Magnetic resonance imaging and mammography in women with a hereditary risk of breast cancer.
JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute 12/2001; 93(22):1754-5. · 13.76 Impact Factor -
Article: Increased risk for nonmedullary thyroid cancer in the first degree relatives of prevalent cases of nonmedullary thyroid cancer: a hospital-based study.
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ABSTRACT: The genetic basis for nonmedullary forms of thyroid cancer (NMTC) is less well established than that of medullary thyroid cancer. However, epidemiological and family studies suggest that a proportion of NMTC may be due to inherited predisposition. To estimate the familial risk of thyroid cancer, we conducted a hospital-based case-control study at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and at 2 university hospitals in Montréal, Québec, Canada. We obtained pedigrees from 339 unselected patients diagnosed with NMTC and from 319 unaffected ethnically matched controls. Family histories of cancer were obtained from the cases and controls for 3292 first degree relatives of cases and controls. Seventeen cases (5.0%) and 2 controls (0.6%) reported at least one first degree relative with thyroid cancer. In relatives of patients with thyroid cancer, the incidence of any type of cancer (including NMTC) was 38% higher than in relatives of controls (incidence rate ratio, 1.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-1.7). The relative risk for thyroid cancer was 10-fold higher in relatives of cancer patients than in controls (incidence rate ratio, 10.3; 95% confidence interval, 2.2-47.6). Our findings suggest that hereditary or other familial factors are important in a small proportion of NMTC. Molecular studies are needed to determine the genetic basis of cancer susceptibility in these families.Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 12/2001; 86(11):5307-12. · 6.50 Impact Factor -
Article: Molecular and clinical characteristics in 32 families affected with familial adenomatous polyposis
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ABSTRACT: Germ-line mutations in the 5′ half of the Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (APC) gene are found in about 80% of the patients affected with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). The vast majority of these are nonsense or frameshift mutations which result in the loss of the carboxyl terminus of the APC protein. Using an in vivo assay in yeast, we have identified pathogenic germ-line mutations in 26 of 32 (81%) unrelated Swiss families affected with FAP. Nine mutations were novel and eight families were shown to harbor two recurrent mutations. Correlations were attempted between the location of APC germ-line mutations and clinical manifestations of the disease. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Human Mutation 11/2001; 18(6):550 - 550. · 5.69 Impact Factor -
Article: The contribution of inherited factors to the clinicopathological features and behavior of breast cancer.
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ABSTRACT: This review is focused on genetic factors that may influence the development and/or appearance of breast cancer metastases. Over the last decade there have been significant advances in the understanding of genetic predisposition to breast cancer. The first breast cancer predisposing gene to be identified was TP53, and this was followed over the next 5 years by two more genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, which from a population perspective are much more important than TP53. Other rarer genes have subsequently been identified, but the role of more common, less penetrant genes in breast cancer susceptibility remains unknown. Recent work has shown that breast cancers occurring in women carrying germ-line BRCA1 mutations tend to have clinicopathological features that are usually associated with a poor prognosis, such as high grade, estrogen receptor negative status and somatic TP53 mutations. On the other hand, they are usually ERBB2 negative. Whether or not such tumors are more or less likely to metastasize, and hence be associated with a poor outcome, is currently uncertain and has been the subject of much debate. Here, we outline some of the clinicopathological features of hereditary breast cancer, discuss the prognostic studies that have been performed, and introduce some possible new research directions.Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia 11/2001; 6(4):453-65. · 6.74 Impact Factor -
Article: Prevalence of founder BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in unselected French Canadian women with breast cancer.
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ABSTRACT: The frequency of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in women with breast cancer varies according to the age at diagnosis, family history of cancer, and ethnicity/country of origin. We set out to estimate the frequency of seven previously described founder mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 in all eligible French Canadian women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer at one Montreal hospital over a 20-month period. One hundred and ninety-two patients were eligible and 127 (66.2%) provided blood for genetic testing. We identified 4 women who carried a founder mutation (3.1%, 95% confidence interval 0.9-7.9%) in this population. Interestingly, all the mutations were in BRCA2. The mean age at diagnosis for mutation carriers was 51.2 years (range 49.1-53.5). Two of these 4 cases were lobular invasive carcinomas and 2 were ductal carcinomas, histological grade 1 or 2. Despite a small tumor size (< or =20 mm), axillary nodal involvement was present in 3 women. Estrogen receptors were strongly expressed in all cases. Two of the 4 cases reported a strong family history of breast cancer, but a family history of site-specific breast cancer was a relatively poor indicator of the presence of BRCA2 mutations. The absence of BRCA1 mutations may be a result of chance, but may also reflect different geographical origins of the most common BRCA1 mutations within the French Canadian population.Clinical Genetics 06/2001; 59(6):418-23. · 3.13 Impact Factor -
Article: TP53 mutations in breast cancer associated with BRCA1 or BRCA2 germ-line mutations: distinctive spectrum and structural distribution.
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ABSTRACT: Several groups have studied the molecular pathology of inherited breast cancer. By combining several such studies, we show in this study that somatic TP53 abnormalities are more common in breast cancer associated with BRCA1 or BRCA2 germ-line mutations than in sporadic breast cancers (odds ratio, 2.8; P = 0.0003). Then, we compared the spectrum of TP53 mutations for breast cancers in the IARC TP53 mutation database with the 82 mutations reported in BRCA1/2-associated breast cancers. The spectrum differed significantly both in distribution (P < 1 x 10(-6)) and in base changes (P = 0.025). Mutations at A:T bp were more common in BRCA1/2-associated tumors and strand bias suggesting DNA repair abnormalities was found. Changes were common at TP53 codons that are not mutation hotspots. Structural modeling showed that most of these p53 non-hotspot amino acids characterized in breast tumors isolated from patients with deficient BRCA1/2 function are distributed in a region of the protein on the opposite side of the p53 DNA-binding surface. Our results suggest that BRCA1/2 mutations influence the type and distribution of TP53 mutations seen in breast cancer.Cancer Research 06/2001; 61(10):4092-7. · 7.86 Impact Factor -
Article: Functional evaluation of plasmin formation in primary breast cancer.
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ABSTRACT: Plasmin generation is controlled by the plasminogen activators (PA)/plasmin system, which comprises proteases (urokinase-type PA [uPA] and tissue-type PA [tPA]) and antiproteases (PA inhibitors, PAI-1 and PAI-2). The tumoral content of uPA and PAI-1 has been shown to carry prognostic value in breast cancer; however, because most assays used so far have relied on immunometric determinations, we have explored the enzymatic activities governing plasmin formation in breast cancer specimens. We applied semiquantitative histochemical zymography to 201 primary breast cancer tissue sections. Enzymatic activities were correlated with histopathologic parameters and clinical outcome. The median follow-up was 91 months. A wide range of PA-mediated catalytic activities was detected. The overall survival was significantly worse for patients with tumors showing tPA in the lowest quartile of activity (P =.003). The 5-year overall survival of patients with tPA activity in the lowest quartile was 58% compared with 81% for patients with tPA value in the other three quartiles. Tumor size, axillary lymph node metastasis, histologic grade, lymphovascular infiltration, TP53 mutation, and tPA activity were all major risk factors in univariate analysis. tPA activity was an independent prognostic factor in a multivariate Cox regression model, both in the whole population (relative risk = 0.5, 95% confidence interval, 0.3 to 0.9; P =.02) and in the node-negative subgroup (relative risk = 0.2, 95% confidence interval, 0.08 to 0.6; P =.004). By using a zymographic assay performed directly on primary tumor tissue sections, we demonstrate that reduced tPA-mediated plasmin production is an independent adverse prognostic factor in breast cancer.Journal of Clinical Oncology 06/2001; 19(10):2731-8. · 18.37 Impact Factor -
Article: Re: Population-based study of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in 1035 unselected Finnish breast cancer patients.
JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute 02/2001; 93(2):152-4. · 13.76 Impact Factor
Top co-authors
Top Journals
Institutions
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2001–2009
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University of Geneva
- • Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine
- • Division of Oncology
Genève, GE, Switzerland -
University of Vermont
- Vermont Cancer Center
Burlington, VT, USA
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1999–2005
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McGill University
- • Department of Human Genetics
- • Department of Medicine
Montréal, Quebec, Canada -
Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève
Genève, GE, Switzerland
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2003
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Tufts University
Boston, GA, USA
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