Survival in epithelial ovarian cancer: a multivariate analysis incorporating BRCA mutation status and platinum sensitivity

Background: Patients with BRCA-associated ovarian cancer (OC) have a survival advantage over those with sporadic OC. To further explore this, we examined the impact of prognostic factors on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with known BRCA mutation status. Patients and methods: We reviewed stage III-IV OC patients treated at our institution between 1 December 1996 and 30 September 2006 and also tested on protocol for BRCA mutations. Impact on DFS and OS was determined by Kaplan-Meier analysis and a Cox proportional hazards model. Results: Of the 110 patients, 36 had deleterious BRCA mutations [BRCA (+)] and 74 were BRCA wild type [BRCA(2)]. Thirty-one of 36 (86%) BRCA (+) and 60 of 74 (81%) BRCA (2) patients were platinum sensitive (P = 0.60). Median OS was longer for BRCA (+) patients (not reached versus 67.8 months; P = 0.02), but DFS was similar (26.9 versus 24.0, P = 0.3). On multivariate analysis, OS correlated with primary platinum sensitivity [HR = 0.15; 95% CI (confidence interval) 0.06-0.34] and BRCA (+) mutation status (HR = 0.33; 95% CI 0.12-0.86). Conclusions: BRCA mutation status predicted OS independent of primary platinum sensitivity, suggesting that underlying tumor biology contributes to disease outcome and may be worthy of consideration in future clinical trial design.