Improved survival in women with BRCA-associated ovarian carcinoma.

Background: The objective of this study was to determine the clinical characteristics, treatment response, and frequency of p53 overexpression in Ashkenazi Jewish women with hereditary ovarian carcinoma.

Methods: Seventy-one Jewish women with epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) were tested for the three BRCA founder mutations using single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis, heteroduplex analysis, and protein truncation testing. Clinical and histopathologic data were reviewed retrospectively.