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Around 95% of patients with clinical features that meet the diagnostic criteria for von Hippel–Lindau disease (VHL) have a detectable inactivating germline variant in VHL. The VHL protein (pVHL) functions as part of the E3 ubiquitin ligase complex comprising pVHL, elongin C, elongin B, cullin 2 and ring box 1 (VCB-CR complex), which plays a key role in oxygen sensing and degradation of hypoxia-inducible factors. To date, only variants in VHL have been shown to cause VHL disease. We undertook trio analysis by whole-exome sequencing in a proband with VHL disease but without a detectable VHL mutation. Molecular studies were also performed on paired DNA extracted from the proband’s kidney tumour and blood and bioinformatics analysis of sporadic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) dataset was undertaken. A de novo pathogenic variant in ELOC NM_005648.4(ELOC):c.236A>G (p.Tyr79Cys) gene was identified in the proband. ELOC encodes elongin C, a key component [C] of the VCB-CR complex. The p.Tyr79Cys substitution is a mutational hotspot in sporadic VHL-competent RCC and has previously been shown to mimic the effects of pVHL deficiency on hypoxic signalling. Analysis of an RCC from the proband showed similar findings to that in somatically ELOC-mutated RCC (expression of hypoxia-responsive proteins, no somatic VHL variants and chromosome 8 loss). These findings are consistent with pathogenic ELOC variants being a novel cause for VHL disease and suggest that genetic testing for ELOC variants should be performed in individuals with suspected VHL disease with no detectable VHL variant.

Funder: NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Reserach Centre VHL Alliance UK, BACKGROUND: Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is an inherited tumour predisposition syndrome and a paradigm for the importance of early diagnosis and surveillance. However, there is limited information on the "real world" management of VHL disease. METHODS: A national audit of VHL disease in the United Kingdom. RESULTS: VHL disease was managed mostly via specialist clinics coordinated through regional clinical genetics services (but frequently involving additional specialties). Over the study period, 19 genetic centres saw 842 individuals (393 males, 449 females) with a clinical and/or molecular diagnosis of VHL disease and 74 individuals (35 male, 39 female) with a prior risk of 50% (affected parent). All centres offered retinal, central nervous system and abdominal surveillance to affected individuals and at-risk relatives though surveillance details differed between centres (but complied with international recommendations). Renal lesions detected on the first surveillance scan were, on average, larger than those detected during subsequent scans and the larger the diameter at detection the greater the likelihood of early intervention. CONCLUSIONS: In a state-funded health care system individuals with a rare inherited cancer predisposition syndrome are generally able to access appropriate surveillance and patient management is improved compared to historical data. The "real world" data from this study will inform the future development of VHL management protocols.

Funder: Victorian Cancer Agency, Funder: NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Funder: Cancer Research UK, Funder: Cancer Council Tasmania, Funder: Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Funder: Cancer Australia, Funder: NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Funder: Fundación Científica de la Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer, Funder: Cancer Council South Australia, Funder: Swedish Cancer Society, Funder: NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Funder: Institut Català de la Salut, Funder: Cancer Council Victoria, Funder: Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, Funder: National Institutes of Health, BACKGROUND: Lynch syndrome is a rare familial cancer syndrome caused by pathogenic variants in the mismatch repair genes MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, or PMS2, that cause predisposition to various cancers, predominantly colorectal and endometrial cancer. Data are emerging that pathogenic variants in mismatch repair genes increase the risk of early-onset aggressive prostate cancer. The IMPACT study is prospectively assessing prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening in men with germline mismatch repair pathogenic variants. Here, we report the usefulness of PSA screening, prostate cancer incidence, and tumour characteristics after the first screening round in men with and without these germline pathogenic variants. METHODS: The IMPACT study is an international, prospective study. Men aged 40-69 years without a previous prostate cancer diagnosis and with a known germline pathogenic variant in the MLH1, MSH2, or MSH6 gene, and age-matched male controls who tested negative for a familial pathogenic variant in these genes were recruited from 34 genetic and urology clinics in eight countries, and underwent a baseline PSA screening. Men who had a PSA level higher than 3·0 ng/mL were offered a transrectal, ultrasound-guided, prostate biopsy and a histopathological analysis was done. All participants are undergoing a minimum of 5 years' annual screening. The primary endpoint was to determine the incidence, stage, and pathology of screening-detected prostate cancer in carriers of pathogenic variants compared with non-carrier controls. We used Fisher's exact test to compare the number of cases, cancer incidence, and positive predictive values of the PSA cutoff and biopsy between carriers and non-carriers and the differences between disease types (ie, cancer vs no cancer, clinically significant cancer vs no cancer). We assessed screening outcomes and tumour characteristics by pathogenic variant status. Here we present results from the first round of PSA screening in the IMPACT study. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00261456, and is now closed to accrual. FINDINGS: Between Sept 28, 2012, and March 1, 2020, 828 men were recruited (644 carriers of mismatch repair pathogenic variants [204 carriers of MLH1, 305 carriers of MSH2, and 135 carriers of MSH6] and 184 non-carrier controls [65 non-carriers of MLH1, 76 non-carriers of MSH2, and 43 non-carriers of MSH6]), and in order to boost the sample size for the non-carrier control groups, we randomly selected 134 non-carriers from the BRCA1 and BRCA2 cohort of the IMPACT study, who were included in all three non-carrier cohorts. Men were predominantly of European ancestry (899 [93%] of 953 with available data), with a mean age of 52·8 years (SD 8·3). Within the first screening round, 56 (6%) men had a PSA concentration of more than 3·0 ng/mL and 35 (4%) biopsies were done. The overall incidence of prostate cancer was 1·9% (18 of 962; 95% CI 1·1-2·9). The incidence among MSH2 carriers was 4·3% (13 of 305; 95% CI 2·3-7·2), MSH2 non-carrier controls was 0·5% (one of 210; 0·0-2·6), MSH6 carriers was 3·0% (four of 135; 0·8-7·4), and none were detected among the MLH1 carriers, MLH1 non-carrier controls, and MSH6 non-carrier controls. Prostate cancer incidence, using a PSA threshold of higher than 3·0 ng/mL, was higher in MSH2 carriers than in MSH2 non-carrier controls (4·3% vs 0·5%; p=0·011) and MSH6 carriers than MSH6 non-carrier controls (3·0% vs 0%; p=0·034). The overall positive predictive value of biopsy using a PSA threshold of 3·0 ng/mL was 51·4% (95% CI 34·0-68·6), and the overall positive predictive value of a PSA threshold of 3·0 ng/mL was 32·1% (20·3-46·0). INTERPRETATION: After the first screening round, carriers of MSH2 and MSH6 pathogenic variants had a higher incidence of prostate cancer compared with age-matched non-carrier controls. These findings support the use of targeted PSA screening in these men to identify those with clinically significant prostate cancer. Further annual screening rounds will need to confirm these findings. FUNDING: Cancer Research UK, The Ronald and Rita McAulay Foundation, the National Institute for Health Research support to Biomedical Research Centres (The Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust; Oxford; Manchester and the Cambridge Clinical Research Centre), Mr and Mrs Jack Baker, the Cancer Council of Tasmania, Cancer Australia, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, Cancer Council of Victoria, Cancer Council of South Australia, the Victorian Cancer Agency, Cancer Australia, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (AECC), the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER), the Institut Català de la Salut, Autonomous Government of Catalonia, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute, Swedish Cancer Society, General Hospital in Malmö Foundation for Combating Cancer.

In January 2019, a new nationally commissioned Genomic Medicine Service (GMS) has now commenced in the NHS. Capitalising on the infrastructure developed through the 100,000 Genomes Project, the GMS is underpinned by seven supra-regional Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs) delivering the new inherited rare disease and cancer somatic tissue genetic test directory. This replaces the UKGTN test directory, with the aim of standardising criteria for whole genome sequencing or targeted panel tests where applicable. The new test directory will define who can order specific genetic tests under prescribed eligibility criteria. In keeping with Dame Sally Davies' white paper Generation Genome, this will further democratise genetic testing and, in some situations, avoid the need to refer to clinical genetics to access testing. The aim is to simplify patient pathways and reduce regional or social inequalities. We will discuss the implications of whole genome sequencing and the potential impact of the new nationally commissioned GMS for both patients, their relatives and clinicians. We will also discuss the imminent challenges in implementing genomic medicine into the NHS, and the future impact of novel technologies on service delivery as genomic medicine becomes increasingly integrated into routine healthcare.

A BRCA2 prostate cancer cluster region (PCCR) was recently proposed (c.7914 to 3′) wherein pathogenic variants (PVs) are associated with higher prostate cancer (PCa) risk than PVs elsewhere in the BRCA2 gene. Using a prospective cohort study of 447 male BRCA2 PV carriers recruited in the UK and Ireland from 1998 to 2016, we estimated standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) compared with population incidences and assessed variation in risk by PV location. Carriers of PVs in the PCCR had a PCa SIR of 8.33 (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.46–15.6) and were at a higher risk of PCa than carriers of other BRCA2 PVs (SIR = 3.31, 95% CI 1.97–5.57; hazard ratio = 2.34, 95% CI 1.09–5.03). PCCR PV carriers had an estimated cumulative PCa risk of 44% (95% CI 23–72%) by the age of 75 yr and 78% (95% CI 54–94%) by the age of 85 yr. Our results corroborate the existence of a PCCR in BRCA2 in a prospective cohort. Patient summary In this report, we investigated whether the risk of prostate cancer for men with a harmful mutation in the BRCA2 gene differs based on where in the gene the mutation is located. We found that men with mutations in one region of BRCA2 had a higher risk of prostate cancer than men with mutations elsewhere in the gene., Take Home Message BRCA2 pathogenic variants located in a recently proposed prostate cancer cluster region confers higher risks of prostate cancer than other BRCA2 variants. This report corroborates the existence of this prostate cancer cluster region in a large prospective cohort study.

Heritable factors account for approximately 35% of colorectal cancer (CRC) risk, and almost 30% of the population in the UK have a family history of CRC. The quantification of an individual’s lifetime risk of gastrointestinal cancer may incorporate clinical and molecular data, and depends on accurate phenotypic assessment and genetic diagnosis. In turn this may facilitate targeted risk-reducing interventions, including endoscopic surveillance, preventative surgery and chemoprophylaxis, which provide opportunities for cancer prevention. This guideline is an update from the 2010 British Society of Gastroenterology/Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (BSG/ACPGBI) guidelines for colorectal screening and surveillance in moderate and high-risk groups; however, this guideline is concerned specifically with people who have increased lifetime risk of CRC due to hereditary factors, including those with Lynch syndrome, polyposis or a family history of CRC. On this occasion we invited the UK Cancer Genetics Group (UKCGG), a subgroup within the British Society of Genetic Medicine (BSGM), as a partner to BSG and ACPGBI in the multidisciplinary guideline development process. We also invited external review through the Delphi process by members of the public as well as the steering committees of the European Hereditary Tumour Group (EHTG) and the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE). A systematic review of 10 189 publications was undertaken to develop 67 evidence and expert opinion-based recommendations for the management of hereditary CRC risk. Ten research recommendations are also prioritised to inform clinical management of people at hereditary CRC risk.

Pathogenic sequence variants (PSV) in BRCA1 or BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) are associated with increased risk and severity of prostate cancer. We evaluated whether PSVs in BRCA1/2 were associated with risk of overall prostate cancer or high grade (Gleason 8+) prostate cancer using an international sample of 65 BRCA1 and 171 BRCA2 male PSV carriers with prostate cancer, and 3,388 BRCA1 and 2,880 BRCA2 male PSV carriers without prostate cancer. PSVs in the 3′ region of BRCA2 (c.7914+) were significantly associated with elevated risk of prostate cancer compared with reference bin c.1001-c.7913 [HR = 1.78; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.25–2.52; P = 0.001], as well as elevated risk of Gleason 8+ prostate cancer (HR = 3.11; 95% CI, 1.63–5.95; P = 0.001). c.756-c.1000 was also associated with elevated prostate cancer risk (HR = 2.83; 95% CI, 1.71–4.68; P = 0.00004) and elevated risk of Gleason 8+ prostate cancer (HR = 4.95; 95% CI, 2.12–11.54; P = 0.0002). No genotype–phenotype associations were detected for PSVs in BRCA1. These results demonstrate that specific BRCA2 PSVs may be associated with elevated risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer. Significance: Aggressive prostate cancer risk in BRCA2 mutation carriers may vary according to the specific BRCA2 mutation inherited by the at-risk individual.

Publisher's version (útgefin grein)., Background: Mutations in BRCA2 cause a higher risk of early-onset aggressive prostate cancer (PrCa). The IMPACT study is evaluating targeted PrCa screening using prostate-specific-antigen (PSA) in men with germline BRCA1/2 mutations. Objective: To report the utility of PSA screening, PrCa incidence, positive predictive value of PSA, biopsy, and tumour characteristics after 3 yr of screening, by BRCA status. Design, setting, and participants: Men aged 40–69 yr with a germline pathogenic BRCA1/2 mutation and male controls testing negative for a familial BRCA1/2 mutation were recruited. Participants underwent PSA screening for 3 yr, and if PSA > 3.0 ng/ml, men were offered prostate biopsy. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: PSA levels, PrCa incidence, and tumour characteristics were evaluated. Statistical analyses included Poisson regression offset by person-year follow-up, chi-square tests for proportion t tests for means, and Kruskal-Wallis for medians. Results and limitations: A total of 3027 patients (2932 unique individuals) were recruited (919 BRCA1 carriers, 709 BRCA1 noncarriers, 902 BRCA2 carriers, and 497 BRCA2 noncarriers). After 3 yr of screening, 527 men had PSA > 3.0 ng/ml, 357 biopsies were performed, and 112 PrCa cases were diagnosed (31 BRCA1 carriers, 19 BRCA1 noncarriers, 47 BRCA2 carriers, and 15 BRCA2 noncarriers). Higher compliance with biopsy was observed in BRCA2 carriers compared with noncarriers (73% vs 60%). Cancer incidence rate per 1000 person years was higher in BRCA2 carriers than in noncarriers (19.4 vs 12.0; p = 0.03); BRCA2 carriers were diagnosed at a younger age (61 vs 64 yr; p = 0.04) and were more likely to have clinically significant disease than BRCA2 noncarriers (77% vs 40%; p = 0.01). No differences in age or tumour characteristics were detected between BRCA1 carriers and BRCA1 noncarriers. The 4 kallikrein marker model discriminated better (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.73) for clinically significant cancer at biopsy than PSA alone (AUC = 0.65). Conclusions: After 3 yr of screening, compared with noncarriers, BRCA2 mutation carriers were associated with a higher incidence of PrCa, younger age of diagnosis, and clinically significant tumours. Therefore, systematic PSA screening is indicated for men with a BRCA2 mutation. Further follow-up is required to assess the role of screening in BRCA1 mutation carriers. Patient summary: We demonstrate that after 3 yr of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, we detect more serious prostate cancers in men with BRCA2 mutations than in those without these mutations. We recommend that male BRCA2 carriers are offered systematic PSA screening. © 2019 The Authors We demonstrate that after 3 yr of prostate-specific-antigen (PSA) testing, we detect more serious prostate cancers in men with BRCA2 mutations than those without these mutations. We recommend that male BRCA2 carriers are offered systematic PSA screening., We demonstrate that, after four annual PSA screening rounds, BRCA2 mutation carriers have a higher incidence of PrCa, are diagnosed at a younger age, and present with more clinically significant tumours than BRCA2 noncarriers. Further follow-up is required to assess the role of screening in BRCA1 mutation carriers. Therefore, these data support the use of systematic PSA screening in male BRCA2 carriers. Author contributions : Rosalind A. Eeles had full access to all the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. Study concept and design : Aaronson, Ardern-Jones, Bancroft, Bangma, Castro, Dearnaley, Eccles, Evans, Eyfjord, Falconer, Foster, Gronberg, Hamdy, Johannsson, Khoo, Kote-Jarai, Lilja, Lindeman, Lubinski, Mahle, Mikropoulos, Mitra, Moynihan, Page, Rennert, Suri. Acquisition of data: All authors. Analysis and interpretation of data: All authors. Drafting of the manuscript: All authors. Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: All authors. Statistical analysis : Page, Bancroft, Brook, Assel, Vickers, Lilja. Obtaining funding : Eeles and all IMPACT collaborating sites obtained their own funding for running the study at their site. Administrative, technical, or material support: All authors. Supervision: Eeles. Other : None. Financial disclosures: Rosalind A. Eeles certifies that all conflicts of interest, including specific financial interests and relationships and affiliations relevant to the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript (eg, employment/affiliation, grants or funding, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, royalties, or patents filed, received, or pending), are the following: Hans Lilja holds patents for intact PSA assays, and is named, along with Andrew J. Vickers, on a patent application for a statistical method to detect prostate cancer. The patents have been licensed and commercialised as the 4 Kscore by OPKO Health. Drs. Vickers and Lilja receive royalties from sales of this test. Additionally, Dr. Lilja owns stock and Dr. Vickers owns stock options in OPKO. Professor Rosalind Eeles: Royal Marsden Hospital—Nov 2017; support from Janssen; honorarium as speaker £1100; University of Chicago invited talk May 2018; honorarium as speaker Rosalind A. Eeles certifies that all conflicts of interest, including specific financial interests and relationships and affiliations relevant to the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript (eg, employment/affiliation, grants or funding, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, royalties, or patents filed, received, or pending), are the following: Hans Lilja holds patents for intact PSA assays, and is named, along with Andrew J. Vickers, on a patent application for a statistical method to detect prostate cancer. The patents have been licensed and commercialised as the 4 Kscore by OPKO Health. Drs. Vickers and Lilja receive royalties from sales of this test. Additionally, Dr. Lilja owns stock and Dr. Vickers owns stock options in OPKO. Professor Rosalind Eeles: Royal Marsden Hospital—Nov 2017; support from Janssen; honorarium as speaker £1100; University of Chicago invited talk May 2018; honorarium as speaker $1000. The remaining authors have no other conflict of interest to declare.000. The remaining authors have no other conflict of interest to declare. Funding/Support and role of the sponsor : This research is coordinated by the Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK, and is supported by grants from Cancer Research UK (grant references C5047/A21332, C5047/A13232, and C5047/A17528) and the Ronald and Rita McAulay Foundation. Judith Offman is supported by Cancer Research UK Programme Grant reference C8161/A16892. Mr. and Mrs. Jack Baker are acknowledged for supporting the study in NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL, USA and Myriad Genetics Laboratory, Salt Lake City, UT, USA, for providing research BRCA testing rates for NorthShore University HealthSystem patients. We acknowledge funding from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to the Biomedical Research Center at the Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, at Manchester University Foundation Trust (IS-BRC-1215-20007), the Oxford Biomedical Research Centre Program, and the Cambridge Clinical Research Centre, NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre. We acknowledge that in Australia, this project was cofunded by Cancer Council Tasmania and Cancer Australia (grant number 1006349 [2011–2013]), Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (grant number PCFA PRO4 [2008]), Cancer Councils of Victoria and South Australia (grant number 400048 [2006–2008]), the Victorian Cancer Agency Clinical Trial Capacity CTCB08_14, Cancer Australia and Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (2014–2016; grant number 1059423), and Translational grants EOI09_50. The Association of International Cancer Research funded data collection in The Netherlands (AICR 10-0596). We acknowledge funding from the Basser Center for BRCA (to Susan Domchek). This work was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute (NIH/NCI) with a Cancer Center Support Grant to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (P30 CA008748), a SPORE grant in Prostate Cancer to Dr. H. Scher (P50-CA92629), the Sidney Kimmel Center for Prostate and Urologic Cancers, David H. Koch through the Prostate Cancer Foundation. This work was also supported in part by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre Program in UK, the Swedish Cancer Society (CAN 2017/559), the Swedish Research Council (VR-MH project no. 2016-02974), and General Hospital in Malmö Foundation for Combating Cancer. We acknowledge funding from the Slovenian Research Agency, Research programme P3-0352. We thank CERCA Program/Generalitat de Catalunya for their institutional support. Elena Castro acknowledges funding from Prostate Cancer Foundation. We acknowledge the support of the Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (AECC), the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (organismo adscrito al Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad), “Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER), una manera de hacer Europa” (PI10/01422, PI13/00285, PIE13/00022, PI16/00563, JR18/00011 and CIBERONC), and the Institut Català de la Salut and Autonomous Government of Catalonia (2009SGR290, 2014SGR338 and PERIS Project MedPerCan). We acknowledge funding support from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia to the IPO Porto study (project grant PTDC/DTP-PIC/1308/2014 to Manuel R. Teixeira and fellowship grant SFRH/BD/116557/2016 to Marta Cardoso).

Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the most significant fields of development in the current digital age. Rapid advancements have raised speculation as to its potential benefits in a wide range of fields, with healthcare often at the forefront. However, amidst this optimism, apprehension and opposition continue to strongly persist. Oft-cited concerns include the threat of unemployment, harm to the doctor–patient relationship and questions of safety and accuracy. In this article, we review both the current and future medical applications of AI within the sub-speciality of cancer genomics.

BACKGROUND: BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations have been associated with prostate cancer (PCa) risk but a wide range of risk estimates have been reported that are based on retrospective studies. OBJECTIVE: To estimate relative and absolute PCa risks associated with BRCA1/2 mutations and to assess risk modification by age, family history, and mutation location. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This was a prospective cohort study of male BRCA1 (n = 376) and BRCA2 carriers (n = 447) identified in clinical genetics centres in the UK and Ireland (median follow-up 5.9 and 5.3 yr, respectively). OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Standardised incidence/mortality ratios (SIRs/SMRs) relative to population incidences or mortality rates, absolute risks, and hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated using cohort and survival analysis methods. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: Sixteen BRCA1 and 26 BRCA2 carriers were diagnosed with PCa during follow-up. BRCA2 carriers had an SIR of 4.45 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.99-6.61) and absolute PCa risk of 27% (95% CI 17-41%) and 60% (95% CI 43-78%) by ages 75 and 85 yr, respectively. For BRCA1 carriers, the overall SIR was 2.35 (95% CI 1.43-3.88); the corresponding SIR at age

It is increasingly common in oncology practice to perform tumour sequencing using large cancer panels. For pathogenic sequence variants in cancer susceptibility genes identified on tumour-only sequencing, it is often unclear whether they are of somatic or constitutional (germline) origin. There is wide-spread disparity regarding both the extent to which systematic ‘germline-focussed analysis’ is carried out upon tumour sequencing data and for which variants follow-up analysis of a germline sample is carried out. Here we present analyses of paired sequencing data from 17 152 cancer samples, in which 1494 pathogenic sequence variants were identified across 65 cancer susceptibility genes. From these analyses, the European Society of Medical Oncology Precision Medicine Working Group Germline Subgroup has generated (i) recommendations regarding germline-focussed analyses of tumour-only sequencing data, (ii) indications for germline follow-up testing and (iii) guidance on patient information-giving and consent.

Pathogenic sequence variants (PSV) in

BACKGROUND: Tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption have been intensively studied in the general population to assess their effects on the risk of breast cancer (BC), but very few studies have examined these effects in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers. Given the high BC risk for mutation carriers and the importance of BRCA1 and BRCA2 in DNA repair, better evidence on the associations of these lifestyle factors with BC risk is essential. METHODS: Using a large international pooled cohort of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, we conducted retrospective (5,707 BRCA1 mutation carriers; 3,525 BRCA2 mutation carriers) and prospective (2,276 BRCA1 mutation carriers; 1,610 BRCA2 mutation carriers) analyses of alcohol and tobacco consumption using Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: For both BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, none of the smoking-related variables was associated with BC risk, except smoking for more than five years before a first full-term pregnancy (FFTP) when compared to parous women who never smoked. For BRCA1 mutation carriers, the HR from retrospective analysis (HR(R)) was 1.19 (95%CI:1.02,1.39) and the HR from prospective analysis (HR(P)) was 1.36 (95%CI:0.99,1.87). For BRCA2 mutation carriers, smoking for more than five years before a FFTP showed an association of a similar magnitude, but the confidence limits were wider (HR(R)=1.25,95%CI:1.01,1.55 and HR(P)=1.30,95%CI:0.83,2.01). For both carrier groups, alcohol consumption was not associated with BC risk. CONCLUSIONS: The finding that smoking during the pre-reproductive years increases BC risk for mutation carriers warrants further investigation.

The prevalence and spectrum of germline mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 have been reported in single populations, with the majority of reports focused on White in Europe and North America. The Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2 (CIMBA) has assembled data on 18,435 families with BRCA1 mutations and 11,351 families with BRCA2 mutations ascertained from 69 centers in 49 countries on six continents. This study comprehensively describes the characteristics of the 1,650 unique BRCA1 and 1,731 unique BRCA2 deleterious (disease-associated) mutations identified in the CIMBA database. We observed substantial variation in mutation type and frequency by geographical region and race/ethnicity. In addition to known founder mutations, mutations of relatively high frequency were identified in specific racial/ethnic or geographic groups that may reflect founder mutations and which could be used in targeted (panel) first pass genotyping for specific populations. Knowledge of the population-specific mutational spectrum in BRCA1 and BRCA2 could inform efficient strategies for genetic testing and may justify a more broad-based oncogenetic testing in some populations.

PURPOSE: Cis-acting regulatory SNPs resulting in differential allelic expression (DAE) may, in part, explain the underlying phenotypic variation associated with many complex diseases. To investigate whether common variants associated with DAE were involved in breast cancer susceptibility among BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, a list of 175 genes was developed based of their involvement in cancer-related pathways. METHODS: Using data from a genome-wide map of SNPs associated with allelic expression, we assessed the association of ~320 SNPs located in the vicinity of these genes with breast and ovarian cancer risks in 15,252 BRCA1 and 8211 BRCA2 mutation carriers ascertained from 54 studies participating in the Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2. RESULTS: We identified a region on 11q22.3 that is significantly associated with breast cancer risk in BRCA1 mutation carriers (most significant SNP rs228595 p = 7 × 10-6). This association was absent in BRCA2 carriers (p = 0.57). The 11q22.3 region notably encompasses genes such as ACAT1, NPAT, and ATM. Expression quantitative trait loci associations were observed in both normal breast and tumors across this region, namely for ACAT1, ATM, and other genes. In silico analysis revealed some overlap between top risk-associated SNPs and relevant biological features in mammary cell data, which suggests potential functional significance. CONCLUSION: We identified 11q22.3 as a new modifier locus in BRCA1 carriers. Replication in larger studies using estrogen receptor (ER)-negative or triple-negative (i.e., ER-, progesterone receptor-, and HER2-negative) cases could therefore be helpful to confirm the association of this locus with breast cancer risk. Funding for the iCOGS infrastructure came from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreement No. 223175 (HEALTH-F2-2009-223175) (COGS), Cancer Research UK (C1287/A10118, C1287/A 10710, C12292/A11174, C1281/A12014, C5047/A8384, C5047/A15007, C5047/A10692, C8197/A16565), the National Institutes of Health (CA128978) and Post-cancer GWAS Initiative (1U19 CA148537, 1U19 CA148065, and 1U19 CA148112: the GAME-ON Initiative), the Department of Defence (W81XWH-10-1-0341), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) for the CIHR Team in Familial Risks of Breast Cancer, Komen Foundation for the Cure, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. BCFR: this work was supported by Grant UM1 CA164920 from the National Cancer Institute. BFBOCC was supported by Lithuania (BFBOCC-LT): Research Council of Lithuania Grant SEN-18/2015. BIDMC was supported by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. BRCA-gene mutations and breast cancer in South African women (BMBSA) was supported by Grants from the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) to Elizabeth J. van Rensburg. BRICOH: SLN was partially supported by the Morris and Horowitz Families Endowed Professorship. CNIO: this work was partially supported by Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC08), RTICC 06/0020/1060, FISPI08/1120, Mutua Madrilena Foundation (FMMA), and SAF2010-20493. COH-CCGCRN: patients were recruited for this study from the City of Hope Clinical Cancer Genomics Community Research Network, supported in part by Award Number RC4CA153828 (PI: J. Weitzel) from the National Cancer Institute and the Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health. CONSIT Team: Associazione Italiana Ricerca sul Cancro (AIRC) to P. Peterlongo (IG 2012 Id. 12821) and P. Radice (IG 2014 Id. 15547). Funds from Italian citizens who allocated the 5 9 1000 share of their tax payment in support of the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, according to Italian laws (INT-Institutional Strategic Projects '5x1000') to S. Manoukian. FiorGen Foundation for Pharmacogenomics to L. Papi. CORE: the CIMBA Data Management and Data Analysis were supported by Cancer Research: UK Grants C12292/A20861, C12292/A11174. ACA is a Cancer Research-UK Senior Cancer Research Fellow. GCT is an NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow. J. Lecarpentier has been financially supported by the Fondation ARC (FONDATION ARC, 9 rue Guy Moquet 94803 Villejuif: France), Grant Number SAE20131200623. This work was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for the "CIHR Team in Familial Risks of Breast Cancer" Program: Grant No. CRN-87521 and the Ministry of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade: Grant No. PSR-SIIRI-701. The PERSPECTIVE Project was supported by the Government of Canada through Genome Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Ministere de l'Economie, Innovation et Exportation du Quebec through Genome Quebec, and The Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation. This work was also supported by the Ministere de l'Economie, Innovation et Exportation du Quebec: Grant No. PSR-SIIRI-701. DEMOKRITOS: this research has been co-financed by the European Union (European Social Fund: ESF) and Greek National Funds through the Operational Program "Education and Lifelong Learning" of the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF): Research Funding Program of the General Secretariat for Research and Technology: SYN11_10_19 NBCA. Investing in Knowledge Society through the European Social Fund. The DKFZ Study was supported by the DKFZ. EMBRACE was supported by Cancer Research UK Grants C1287/A10118 and C1287/A11990. D. Gareth Evans and Fiona Lalloo were supported by an NIHR Grant to the Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester. The Investigators at The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust were supported by an NIHR Grant to the Biomedical Research Centre at The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. Ros Eeles and Elizabeth Bancroft were supported by Cancer Research UK Grant C5047/A8385. Ros Eeles was also supported by NIHR support to the Biomedical Research Centre at The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. FCCC: the authors acknowledge the support from The University of Kansas Cancer Center (P30 CA168524) and the Kansas Bioscience Authority Eminent Scholar Program. A.K.G. was funded by 5U01CA113916, R01CA140323, and by the Chancellors Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Sciences Professorship. The German Consortium of Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (GC-HBOC) was supported by the German Cancer Aid (Grant No. 110837, Rita K. Schmutzler). This work was supported by the European Regional Development Fund and Free State of Saxony, Germany (LIFE: Leipzig Research Centre for Civilization Diseases, Project Numbers 713-241202, 713-241202, 14505/2470, 14575/2470). GEMO: the study was supported by the Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer; the Association "Le cancer du sein, parlons-en!" Award; the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for the "CIHR Team in Familial Risks of Breast Cancer" Program and the French National Institute of Cancer (INCa). GEORGETOWN: CI received support from the Non-therapeutic Subject Registry Shared Resource at Georgetown University (NIH/NCI Grant P30-CA051008), the Fisher Center for Hereditary Cancer and Clinical GenomicsResearch, and Swing Fore the Cure. G-FAST: Bruce Poppe is a Senior Clinical Investigator of FWO. Mattias Van Heetvelde obtained funding from IWT. HCSC was supported by a Grant RD12/0036/0006 and 15/00059 from ISCIII (Spain), partially supported by European Regional Development FEDER Funds. The HEBCS was financially supported by the Helsinki University Hospital Research Fund, Academy of Finland (266528), the Finnish Cancer Society and the Sigrid Juselius Foundation. HEBON Study was supported by the Dutch Cancer Society Grants NKI1998-1854, NKI2004-3088, and NKI2007-3756, the Netherlands Organization of Scientific Research Grant NWO 91109024, the Pink Ribbon Grants 110005 and 2014-187.WO76, the BBMRI Grant NWO 184.021.007/CP46, and the Transcan Grant JTC 2012 Cancer 12-054. HEBON thanks the Registration Teams of Dutch Cancer Registry (IKNL; S. Siesling, J. Verloop) and the Dutch Pathology database (PALGA; L. Overbeek) for their help in part of the data collection. HRBCP was supported by the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, Dr. Ellen Li Charitable Foundation, The Kerry Group Kuok Foundation, National Institute of Health 1R 03CA130065, and North California Cancer Center. Hungarian Breast and Ovarian Cancer Study (HUNBOCS) was supported by Hungarian Research Grants KTIA-OTKA CK-80745 and OTKA K-112228. ICO: Contract Grant Sponsor: Asociacion Espanola Contra el Cancer, Spanish Health Research Fund; Carlos III Health Institute; Catalan Health Institute and Autonomous Government of Catalonia. Contract Grant Numbers: ISCIIIRETIC RD06/0020/1051, RD12/0036/008, PI10/01422, PI10/00748, PI13/00285, PIE13/00022, 2009SGR290, and 2014SGR364. The IHCC was supported by Grant PBZ_KBN_122/P05/2004. The ILUH Group was supported by the Icelandic Association "Walking for Breast Cancer Research" and by the Landspitali University Hospital Research Fund. INHERIT: this work was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for the "CIHR Team in Familial Risks of Breast Cancer" Program: Grant No. CRN-87521 and the Ministry of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade: Grant No. PSR-SIIRI-701. The PERSPECTIVE Project was supported by the Government of Canada through Genome Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Grant GPH-129344), the Ministere de l'Economie, Science et Innovation du Quebec through Genome Quebec, and the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation. IOVHBOCS was supported by Ministero della Salute and "5x1000" Istituto Oncologico Veneto Grant. IPOBCS: this study was in part supported by Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro. kConFab was supported by a Grant from the National Breast Cancer Foundation, and previously by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), the Queensland Cancer Fund, the Cancer Councils of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia, and the Cancer Foundation of Western Australia. KOHBRA was supported by a Grant from the National R&D Program for Cancer Control, Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, Republic of Korea (1020350). MAYO was supported by NIH Grants CA116167, CA192393, and CA176785, an NCI Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Breast Cancer (CA116201), and a Grant from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. MCGILL: Jewish General Hospital Weekend to End Breast Cancer, Quebec Ministry of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade. MODSQUAD was supported by MH CZ: DRO (MMCI, 00209805) and by the European Regional Development Fund and the State Budget of the Czech Republic (RECAMO, CZ.1.05/2.1.00/03.0101) to LF, and by Charles University in Prague Project UNCE204024 (MZ). MSKCC was supported by Grants from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the Robert and Kate Niehaus Clinical Cancer Genetics Initiative, and the Andrew Sabin Research Fund. NAROD: 1R01 CA149429-01. NCI: the research of Drs. MH Greene and PL Mai was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the US National Cancer Institute, NIH, and by Support Services Contracts NO2-CP-11019-50 and N02-CP-65504 with Westat, Inc., Rockville, MD. NICCC was supported by Clalit Health Services in Israel. Some of its activities were supported by the Israel Cancer Association and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), NY. NNPIO: this work has been supported by the Russian Federation for Basic Research (Grants 15-04-01744 and 16-54-00055). NRG Oncology: this study was supported by NRG Oncology Operations Grant Number U10 CA180868 as well as NRG SDMC Grant U10 CA180822, Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) Administrative Office and the GOG Tissue Bank (CA 27469), and the GOG Statistical and Data Center (CA 37517). Drs. Greene, Mai, and Savage were supported by Funding from the Intramural Research Program, NCI. OSUCCG was supported by the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. PBCS: this work was supported by the Italian Association of Cancer Research (AIRC) [IG 2013 N.14477] and Tuscany Institute for Tumors (ITT) Grant 2014-2015-2016. SEABASS: Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ministry of Higher Education (UM.C/HlR/MOHE/06), and Cancer Research Initiatives Foundation. The SMC Team was in part sponsored by a Grant from the Israeli Cancer Association to the Israeli Consortium of Hereditary Breast Cancer. SWE-BRCA Collaborators were supported by the Swedish Cancer Society. UCHICAGO was supported by NCI Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Breast Cancer (CA125183), R01 CA142996, 1U01CA161032, and by the Ralph and Marion Falk Medical Research Trust, the Entertainment Industry Fund National Women's Cancer Research Alliance, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. OIO is an ACS Clinical Research Professor. UCLA: Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center Foundation; Breast Cancer Research Foundation. UCSF: UCSF Cancer Risk Program and Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. UKFOCR was supported by a Project Grant from CRUK to Paul Pharoah. UPENN: National Institutes of Health (NIH) (R01-CA102776 and R01-CA083855; Breast Cancer Research Foundation; Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure, Basser Research Center for BRCA. VFCTG: Victorian Cancer Agency, Cancer Australia, National Breast Cancer Foundation. WCP: Dr. Karlan was funded by the American Cancer Society Early Detection Professorship (SIOP-06-258-01-COUN) and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), Grant UL1TR000124. Sí

CONTEXT: Autosomal dominant hypocalcemia (ADH) types 1 and 2 are due to calcium-sensing receptor (CASR) and G-protein subunit-α11 (GNA11) gain-of-function mutations, respectively, whereas CASR and GNA11 loss-of-function mutations result in familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia (FHH) types 1 and 2, respectively. Loss-of-function mutations of adaptor protein-2 sigma subunit (AP2σ 2), encoded by AP2S1, cause FHH3, and we therefore sought for gain-of-function AP2S1 mutations that may cause an additional form of ADH, which we designated ADH3. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to investigate the hypothesis that gain-of-function AP2S1 mutations may cause ADH3. DESIGN: The sample size required for the detection of at least one mutation with a greater than 95% likelihood was determined by binomial probability analysis. Nineteen patients (including six familial cases) with hypocalcemia in association with low or normal serum PTH concentrations, consistent with ADH, but who did not have CASR or GNA11 mutations, were ascertained. Leukocyte DNA was used for sequence and copy number variation analysis of AP2S1. RESULTS: Binomial probability analysis, using the assumption that AP2S1 mutations would occur in hypocalcemic patients at a prevalence of 20%, which is observed in FHH patients without CASR or GNA11 mutations, indicated that the likelihood of detecting at least one AP2S1 mutation was greater than 95% and greater than 98% in sample sizes of 14 and 19 hypocalcemic patients, respectively. AP2S1 mutations and copy number variations were not detected in the 19 hypocalcemic patients. CONCLUSION: The absence of AP2S1 abnormalities in hypocalcemic patients, suggests that ADH3 may not occur or otherwise represents a rare hypocalcemic disorder.

AIMS: Fumarate hydratase (FH)-deficient renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a high-grade, aggressive tubulopapillary carcinoma, arising predominantly in the setting of the hereditary leiomyomatosis-RCC syndrome of familial uterocutaneous leiomyomatosis and deficiency of FH. In contrast, succinate dehydrogenase (SDH)-deficient RCC is a lower-grade oncocytic carcinoma with cytoplasmic flocculence/vacuolation and inclusions, arising mostly in individuals harbouring germline mutations of subunit B of the SDH complex (SDHB). Herein we aim to report the clinicopathologic features of a novel form of FH-deficient RCC showing a low grade oncocytic morphology, reminiscent of SDH-deficient RCC. METHODS AND RESULTS: These distinctive, low-grade oncocytic neoplasms, with solid, nested and focally tubular architecture (2-90 mm), arose in four males (aged 11-41 years). Uniform cytology of polygonal cells, with flocculent, vacuolated eosinophilic cytoplasm with scattered inclusions, fine chromatin, and inconspicuous nucleoli, was apparent. Despite these features suggestive of SDH-deficient RCC, each tumour was confirmed as an FH-deficient carcinoma with retained SDHB expression. One case showed a synchronous, anatomically separate, typical high-grade FH-deficient RCC; one other showed such a tumour at nephrectomy 4 years later. No progression has been noted at 3 and 7 years in the cases with only the SDH-like lesions; the two cases with separate, typical FH-deficient RCCs progressed. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, we characterize a novel oncocytic type of FH-deficient RCC with a striking resemblance to SDH-deficient RCC, posing a diagnostic challenge and raising concerns about sampling and multifocality for syndrome-associated cases under surveillance protocols.

The biological processes controlling human growth are diverse, complex and poorly understood. Genetic factors are important and human height has been shown to be a highly polygenic trait to which common and rare genetic variation contributes. Weaver syndrome is a human overgrowth condition characterised by tall stature, dysmorphic facial features, learning disability and variable additional features. We performed exome sequencing in four individuals with Weaver syndrome, identifying a mutation in the histone methyltransferase, EZH2, in each case. Sequencing of EZH2 in additional individuals with overgrowth identified a further 15 mutations. The EZH2 mutation spectrum in Weaver syndrome shows considerable overlap with the inactivating somatic EZH2 mutations recently reported in myeloid malignancies. Our data establish EZH2 mutations as the cause of Weaver syndrome and provide further links between histone modifications and regulation of human growth.

Identifying the origin of a malignancy post transplantas being either donor-derived or recipient-derived hasimportant clinical consequences, including withdrawalof immunosuppression and retransplantation. It alsohas implications for other recipients of donor organs. Insex-mismatched allografts, this distinction can bemade with chromosomal analysis.

Background— Adams–Oliver syndrome (AOS) is a rare disorder characterized by congenital limb defects and scalp cutis aplasia. In a proportion of cases, notable cardiac involvement is also apparent. Despite recent advances in the understanding of the genetic basis of AOS, for the majority of affected subjects, the underlying molecular defect remains unresolved. This study aimed to identify novel genetic determinants of AOS. Methods and Results— Whole-exome sequencing was performed for 12 probands, each with a clinical diagnosis of AOS. Analyses led to the identification of novel heterozygous truncating NOTCH1 mutations (c.1649dupA and c.6049_6050delTC) in 2 kindreds in which AOS was segregating as an autosomal dominant trait. Screening a cohort of 52 unrelated AOS subjects, we detected 8 additional unique NOTCH1 mutations, including 3 de novo amino acid substitutions, all within the ligand-binding domain. Congenital heart anomalies were noted in 47% (8/17) of NOTCH1 -positive probands and affected family members. In leukocyte-derived RNA from subjects harboring NOTCH1 extracellular domain mutations, we observed significant reduction of NOTCH1 expression, suggesting instability and degradation of mutant mRNA transcripts by the cellular machinery. Transient transfection of mutagenized NOTCH1 missense constructs also revealed significant reduction in gene expression. Mutant NOTCH1 expression was associated with downregulation of the Notch target genes HEY1 and HES1 , indicating that NOTCH1 -related AOS arises through dysregulation of the Notch signaling pathway. Conclusions— These findings highlight a key role for NOTCH1 across a range of developmental anomalies that include cardiac defects and implicate NOTCH1 haploinsufficiency as a likely molecular mechanism for this group of disorders.

Using exome sequencing and a variant prioritization strategy that focuses on loss-of-function variants, we identified biallelic, loss-of-function CEP57 mutations as a cause of constitutional mosaic aneuploidies. CEP57 is a centrosomal protein and is involved in nucleating and stabilizing microtubules. Our findings indicate that these and/or additional functions of CEP57 are crucial for maintaining correct chromosomal number during cell division.

Improved sequencing technologies offer unprecedented opportunities for investigating the role of rare genetic variation in common disease. However, there are considerable challenges with respect to study design, data analysis and replication. Using pooled next-generation sequencing of 507 genes implicated in the repair of DNA in 1,150 samples, an analytical strategy focused on protein-truncating variants (PTVs) and a large-scale sequencing case-control replication experiment in 13,642 individuals, here we show that rare PTVs in the p53-inducible protein phosphatase PPM1D are associated with predisposition to breast cancer and ovarian cancer. PPM1D PTV mutations were present in 25 out of 7,781 cases versus 1 out of 5,861 controls (P = 1.12 × 10(-5)), including 18 mutations in 6,912 individuals with breast cancer (P = 2.42 × 10(-4)) and 12 mutations in 1,121 individuals with ovarian cancer (P = 3.10 × 10(-9)). Notably, all of the identified PPM1D PTVs were mosaic in lymphocyte DNA and clustered within a 370-base-pair region in the final exon of the gene, carboxy-terminal to the phosphatase catalytic domain. Functional studies demonstrate that the mutations result in enhanced suppression of p53 in response to ionizing radiation exposure, suggesting that the mutant alleles encode hyperactive PPM1D isoforms. Thus, although the mutations cause premature protein truncation, they do not result in the simple loss-of-function effect typically associated with this class of variant, but instead probably have a gain-of-function effect. Our results have implications for the detection and management of breast and ovarian cancer risk. More generally, these data provide new insights into the role of rare and of mosaic genetic variants in common conditions, and the use of sequencing in their identification.

The genetic component of breast cancer predisposition remains largely unexplained. Candidate gene case-control resequencing has identified predisposition genes characterised by rare, protein truncating mutations that confer moderate risks of disease. In theory, exome sequencing should yield additional genes of this class. Here, we explore the feasibility and design considerations of this approach. We performed exome sequencing in 50 individuals with familial breast cancer, applying frequency and protein function filters to identify variants most likely to be pathogenic. We identified 867,378 variants that passed the call quality filters of which 1,296 variants passed the frequency and protein truncation filters. The median number of validated, rare, protein truncating variants was 10 in individuals with, and without, mutations in known genes. The functional candidacy of mutated genes was similar in both groups. Without prior knowledge, the known genes would not have been recognisable as breast cancer predisposition genes. Everyone carries multiple rare mutations that are plausibly related to disease. Exome sequencing in common conditions will therefore require intelligent sample and variant prioritisation strategies in large case-control studies to deliver robust genetic evidence of disease association.

Recently, RAD51C mutations were identified in families with breast and ovarian cancer. This observation prompted us to investigate the role of RAD51D in cancer susceptibility. We identified eight inactivating RAD51D mutations in unrelated individuals from 911 breast-ovarian cancer families compared with one inactivating mutation identified in 1,060 controls (P = 0.01). The association found here was principally with ovarian cancer, with three mutations identified in the 59 pedigrees with three or more individuals with ovarian cancer (P = 0.0005). The relative risk of ovarian cancer for RAD51D mutation carriers was estimated to be 6.30 (95% CI 2.86-13.85, P = 4.8 × 10(-6)). By contrast, we estimated the relative risk of breast cancer to be 1.32 (95% CI 0.59-2.96, P = 0.50). These data indicate that RAD51D mutation testing may have clinical utility in individuals with ovarian cancer and their families. Moreover, we show that cells deficient in RAD51D are sensitive to treatment with a PARP inhibitor, suggesting a possible therapeutic approach for cancers arising in RAD51D mutation carriers.

The SAQs printed in the CME section can only be answered online to achieve external CPD credits. Any comments should be sent in via email only: clinicalmedicine@rcplondon.ac.uk SAQs follow a best of five format in line with the MRCP(UK) Part 1 exam. Candidates are asked to choose the best answer