Robust -like classification of copy number profiles of samples repeated across different datasets and platforms

Breast cancers with BRCA1 germline mutation have a characteristic DNA copy number (CN) pattern. We developed a test that assigns CN profiles to be ‘BRCA1-like’ or ‘non-BRCA1-like’, which refers to resembling a BRCA1-mutated tumor or resembling a tumor without a BRCA1 mutation, respectively. Approximately one third of the BRCA1-like breast cancers have a BRCA1 mutation, one third has hypermethylation of the BRCA1 promoter and one third has an unknown reason for being BRCA1-like. This classification is indicative of patients’ response to high dose alkylating and platinum containing chemotherapy regimens, which targets the inability of BRCA1 deficient cells to repair DNA double strand breaks.

Source: Molecular Oncology - March 21, 2015 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Philip C. Schouten, Anita Grigoriadis, Thomas Kuilman, Hasan Mirza, Johnathan A. Watkins, Saskia A. Cooke, Ewald van Dyk, Tesa M. Severson, Oscar M. Rueda, Marlous Hoogstraat, Caroline Verhagen, Rachael Natrajan, Suet-Feung Chin, Esther H. Lips, Janneke K Source Type: research