Publications by authors named "David E Goldgar"

Purpose: To determine the relationship between germline pathogenic variants (PV) in cancer predisposition genes and the risk of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).

Experimental Design: Germline PV frequencies in breast cancer predisposition genes (ATM, BARD1, BRCA1, BRCA2, CDH1, CHEK2, PALB2, RAD51C, and RAD51D) were compared between DCIS cases and unaffected controls and between DCIS and invasive ductal breast cancer (IDC) cases from a clinical testing cohort (n = 9,887), a population-based cohort (n = 3,876), and the UK Biobank (n = 2,421). The risk of contralateral breast cancer (CBC) for DCIS cases with PV was estimated in the population-based cohort.

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  • Pathogenic variants (PVs) in certain genes like BRCA1 and BRCA2 increase breast cancer risk, but it's unclear how risk varies based on the type and location of these variants.
  • This study analyzed breast cancer risks associated with different PV types and locations using data from 12 US studies and clinical cohorts involving over 64,000 women.
  • Results showed that women with specific exon PTVs had higher breast cancer risks, lower rates of ER-negative breast cancer, and were diagnosed at younger ages compared to those with other variants, with these patterns observed across multiple cohorts.
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  • Clinical genetic testing helps find cancer risks by identifying gene changes, but some of these changes are confusing because we don't know what they mean (called VUS).
  • Researchers studied a huge number of breast cancer patients and healthy people to understand these confusing gene changes better.
  • They found that their method of analyzing data closely matches what other experts say about which gene changes are harmless or harmful, giving more information about 785 unclear changes.
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  • - The study aimed to enhance breast cancer risk modeling by integrating pathogenic variants (PVs) in specific genes, a polygenic risk score (PRS), and an epidemiologic risk score (ERS) using data from over 23,000 breast cancer cases and controls.
  • - The results showed that postmenopausal women with no PVs but high ERS had a 4.4-fold increase in breast cancer risk, while some CHEK2 PV carriers had a predicted lifetime risk below 20%, indicating potential over-screening in certain groups.
  • - The findings suggest that combining these risk factors can improve risk assessment and possibly lead to more tailored screening and prevention strategies for breast cancer.
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  • The ENIGMA research consortium focuses on determining the clinical significance of variants in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer genes, specifically BRCA1 and BRCA2, and evolved from an external expert panel to an internal Variant Curation Expert Panel (VCEP) to enhance alignment with FDA recognized classification processes.
  • The VCEP reviewed existing classification criteria and utilized statistical methods to assess evidence strength, testing new specifications on variants and updating documentation for better user clarity.
  • Analysis led to refined classifications for variants—resolving uncertainties and maintaining confidence in others—while revealing gaps in both ENIGMA's research and ACMG/AMP criteria, ultimately improving the classification process for BRCA1 and BRCA2 variants.
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Background: The distribution of ovarian tumour characteristics differs between germline BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathogenic variant carriers and non-carriers. In this study, we assessed the utility of ovarian tumour characteristics as predictors of BRCA1 and BRCA2 variant pathogenicity, for application using the American College of Medical Genetics and the Association for Molecular Pathology (ACMG/AMP) variant classification system.

Methods: Data for 10,373 ovarian cancer cases, including carriers and non-carriers of BRCA1 or BRCA2 pathogenic variants, were collected from unpublished international cohorts and consortia and published studies.

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  • This study investigates the risk of contralateral breast cancer (CBC) among women with specific germline pathogenic variants (PVs) after being treated for breast cancer.
  • It involved a large cohort of over 15,000 women, examining differences in CBC risk based on factors like race, age, and tumor characteristics.
  • Findings indicate that certain PV carriers face significantly higher risks of developing CBC, especially those with ER-negative breast cancer, suggesting a need for closer monitoring and preventive measures for these high-risk groups.
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  • Many variants found in disease susceptibility genes are classified as variants of uncertain significance (VUS), making their interpretation critical for clinical decisions.
  • This study introduces a new likelihood ratio-based method that takes into account gene-specific age-related penetrance to better analyze the pathogenicity of these variants.
  • The method outperformed traditional approaches in simulated and real datasets, allowing for clearer classifications of variants as pathogenic or non-pathogenic for conditions like breast cancer, and includes user-friendly tools for researchers.
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The contribution of germline copy number variants (CNVs) to risk of developing cancer in individuals with pathogenic BRCA1 or BRCA2 variants remains relatively unknown. We conducted the largest genome-wide analysis of CNVs in 15,342 BRCA1 and 10,740 BRCA2 pathogenic variant carriers. We used these results to prioritise a candidate breast cancer risk-modifier gene for laboratory analysis and biological validation.

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Skipping of BRCA2 exon 3 (∆E3) is a naturally occurring splicing event, complicating clinical classification of variants that may alter ∆E3 expression. This study used multiple evidence types to assess pathogenicity of 85 variants in/near BRCA2 exon 3. Bioinformatically predicted spliceogenic variants underwent mRNA splicing analysis using minigenes and/or patient samples.

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Rare variants in at least 10 genes, including BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, ATM, and CHEK2, are associated with increased risk of breast cancer; however, these variants, in combination with common variants identified through genome-wide association studies, explain only a fraction of the familial aggregation of the disease. To identify further susceptibility genes, we performed a two-stage whole-exome sequencing study. In the discovery stage, samples from 1528 breast cancer cases enriched for breast cancer susceptibility and 3733 geographically matched unaffected controls were sequenced.

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Loss-of-function variants in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 susceptibility genes predispose carriers to breast and/or ovarian cancer. The use of germline testing panels containing these genes has grown dramatically, but the interpretation of the results has been complicated by the identification of many sequence variants of undefined cancer relevance, termed "Variants of Uncertain Significance (VUS)." We have developed functional assays and a statistical model called VarCall for classifying BRCA1 and BRCA2 VUS.

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BRCA1 is a high-risk susceptibility gene for breast and ovarian cancer. Pathogenic protein-truncating variants are scattered across the open reading frame, but all known missense substitutions that are pathogenic because of missense dysfunction are located in either the amino-terminal RING domain or the carboxy-terminal BRCT domain. Heterodimerization of the BRCA1 and BARD1 RING domains is a molecularly defined obligate activity.

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Purpose: To provide precise age-specific risk estimates of cancers other than female breast and ovarian cancers associated with pathogenic variants (PVs) in and for effective cancer risk management.

Methods: We used data from 3,184 and 2,157 families in the Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of to estimate age-specific relative (RR) and absolute risks for 22 first primary cancer types adjusting for family ascertainment.

Results: PVs were associated with risks of male breast (RR = 4.

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Purpose: Germline genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 variants has been a part of clinical practice for >2 decades. However, no studies have compared the cancer risks associated with missense pathogenic variants (PVs) with those associated with protein truncating (PTC) variants.

Methods: We collected 582 informative pedigrees segregating 1 of 28 missense PVs in BRCA1 and 153 pedigrees segregating 1 of 12 missense PVs in BRCA2.

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Purpose: To determine the contribution of germline pathogenic variants (PVs) in hereditary cancer testing panel genes to invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) of the breast.

Materials And Methods: The study included 2,999 women with ILC from a population-based cohort and 3,796 women with ILC undergoing clinical multigene panel testing (clinical cohort). Frequencies of germline PVs in breast cancer predisposition genes (, , , , , , , , , , , and ) were compared between women with ILC and unaffected female controls and between women with ILC and infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC).

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  • The study investigates the possible causal relationship between cigarette smoking and breast cancer risk using Mendelian randomization techniques.
  • Results indicate that a genetically predicted lifetime smoking index (LSI) is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, while the number of cigarettes smoked per day (CPD) does not show a significant association.
  • The findings suggest that long-term smoking exposure may increase breast cancer risk, but the intensity of smoking does not appear to have the same effect.
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  • Researchers studied the impact of new polygenic risk scores (PRS) for breast and prostate cancer on male carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, analyzing data from 1,801 individuals across these two genes.
  • The breast cancer PRS showed the strongest link to risk factors for BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers, with specific odds ratios indicating increased risk associated with certain risk score variations.
  • The findings highlight the need for further research to tailor cancer risk assessments for male BRCA mutation carriers, which could improve their clinical management and outcomes.
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  • The study aimed to determine the prevalence of germline pathogenic variants (PVs) in breast cancer predisposition genes among women over 65 years old, finding a higher frequency in those with breast cancer (3.18%) compared to unaffected women (1.48%).
  • It identified specific genes associated with increased breast cancer risks, particularly in those with estrogen receptor-negative or triple-negative cancers, suggesting that genetic testing should be routine for these patients.
  • The findings support the need for further screenings, like MRI, for older women with certain PVs, highlighting the importance of genetic knowledge in breast cancer management.
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  • The first International Workshop on the ATM gene and cancer took place on December 4-5, 2019, in Paris, focusing on the gene's role in various cancers due to the presence of germline ATM pathogenic variants.
  • Experts from different fields discussed the lack of consensus on management guidelines for these variant carriers because of insufficient age-, sex-, and site-specific risk estimates.
  • The meeting emphasized the need for large-scale studies to enhance cancer risk management and therapeutic strategies for ATM variant carriers beyond Ataxia-Telangiectasia.
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Purpose: To evaluate the association between a previously published 313 variant-based breast cancer (BC) polygenic risk score (PRS) and contralateral breast cancer (CBC) risk, in BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathogenic variant heterozygotes.

Methods: We included women of European ancestry with a prevalent first primary invasive BC (BRCA1 = 6,591 with 1,402 prevalent CBC cases; BRCA2 = 4,208 with 647 prevalent CBC cases) from the Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2 (CIMBA), a large international retrospective series. Cox regression analysis was performed to assess the association between overall and ER-specific PRS and CBC risk.

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  • The study examined how pathogenic variants (PVs) in breast cancer genes and polygenic risk scores (PRS) collectively affect breast cancer (BC) risk in a general population.
  • A large sample of almost 53,000 participants (both BC cases and controls) was analyzed for PVs and created PRS based on genetic data from previous studies, to estimate the odds of developing BC.
  • The findings showed that incorporating PRS could help identify individuals at lower risk among those with PVs, suggesting a more tailored approach to breast cancer screening and prevention strategies.
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Importance: The prevalence of germline pathogenic variants (PVs) in cancer susceptibility genes in US Black women compared with non-Hispanic White women with breast cancer is poorly described.

Objective: To determine whether US Black and non-Hispanic White women with breast cancer have a different prevalence of PVs in 12 cancer susceptibility genes.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Multicenter, population-based studies in the Cancer Risk Estimates Related to Susceptibility (CARRIERS) consortium.

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  • A correction has been issued for the paper referenced by the DOI 10.1038/s41467-021-23162-4.
  • The correction addresses specific errors or inaccuracies found in the original research.
  • Readers are encouraged to review the correction to understand the updated findings and implications.
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