Publications by authors named "Ana Carolina Ribeiro Chaves de Gouvea"

Objectives: To identify somatic mutations in tumors from young women with triple-negative or luminal breast cancer, through targeted sequencing and to explore the cancer driver potential of these gene variants.

Methods: A customized gene panel was assembled based on data from previous sequencing studies of breast cancer from young women. Triple-negative and luminal tumors and paired blood samples from young breast cancer patients were sequenced, and identified gene variants were searched for their driver potential, in databases and literature.

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Objectives: In breast cancer (BC) patients, the frequency of germline BRCA mutations (gBRCA) may vary according to the ethnic background, age, and family history of cancer. Phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA) is the second most common somatic mutated gene in BC; however, the association of mutations in both genes with cancer has not been thoroughly investigated. Thus, our aims were to investigate gBRCA mutation frequency in a cohort of postmenopausal Brazilian BC patients and the association of gBRCA1/BRCA2 and PIK3CA somatic mutations.

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Article Synopsis
  • Microsatellite instability (MSI) and POLD1 mutations are more common in colorectal tumours related to polyposis syndrome, but rarely occur in breast tumours.
  • A case of a young patient with a metastatic luminal B breast tumour and a strong family history of cancer revealed a Variant of Uncertain Significance (VUS) in POLD1, leading to further investigation of MSI which tested positive.
  • Current research suggests that pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy drug, may be a more effective treatment for tumours showing MSI compared to traditional chemotherapy.
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Introduction: The contribution of CDH1 germline variants to gastric cancer burden among young adults is unknown in Brazil. We aimed to evaluate the frequency of CDH1 germline variants and the diet/lifestyle habits in early age onset gastric cancer (EOGC, ≤ 55 years old) patients.

Methodology: From 2013 to 2015, a total of 88 unrelated and consecutive patients diagnosed with EOGC were enrolled.

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Breast cancer arising in very young patients may be biologically distinct; however, these tumors have been less well studied. We characterized a group of very young patients (≤ 35 years) for BRCA germline mutation and for somatic mutations in luminal ( negative) breast cancer. Thirteen of 79 unselected very young patients were 1/2 germline mutation carriers.

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Background: Approximately 8-15% epithelial ovarian cancer patients are BRCA1 or BRCA2 germline mutation carriers. Brazilian inhabitants may have peculiar genetic characteristics associated with ethnic diversity, and studies focusing on the entire BRCA1/BRCA2 gene sequencing in Brazilian ovarian cancer patients are still lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate BRCA1/2 mutations, through entire gene sequencing, in a Brazilian population of women with epithelial ovarian cancer.

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