Response to neoadjuvant therapy with cisplatin in BRCA1-positive breast cancer patients

BACKGROUND: Ten patients with breast cancer and a breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1) mutation, who presented with stages I to III breast cancer between December 2006 and 2007, were treated with four cycles of neoadjuvant cisplatin, followed by mastectomy and conventional chemotherapy. METHODS: The excised breast tissue and lymph nodes were examined for the presence of residual disease. RESULTS: Pathologic complete response was observed in nine patients (90%). CONCLUSIONS: Platinum-based chemotherapy appears to be effective in a high proportion of patients with BRCA1-associated breast cancers. Clinical trials are now warranted to determine the optimum treatment for this subgroup of breast cancer patients.