In gynecological oncology, sentinel lymph node biopsy with ultrastaging is increasingly used in cervical, endometrial and vulvar cancers. Isolated tumor cells (ITCs) are encountered much more commonly in this scenario than when standard histologic evaluation of non-sentinel lymph nodes is performed. The prognostic implication of ITCs in gynecological cancers is not well defined and international guidelines do not offer clear guidance regarding the management of gynecological cancers with ITCs. The current size cut-off for defining ITCs, micrometastases and macrometastases in lymph nodes are arbitrary and based on weak data. The detection rate of ITCs is strongly influenced by the "intensity" of pathological ultrastaging which varies greatly and there are resource constraints related to pathology services. However, even with standardized and intensive protocols, ITCs are by definition too small to be detected in all cases, and therefore it is challenging to completely define their prognostic risk. Moreover, in the absence of definitive evidence excluding their contribution to recurrence risk, we suggest that ITCs should be regarded as a potential negative prognostic risk factor and managed accordingly in clinical practice.
Objective: Inherited BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants (mutations) confer high lifetime risks of breast and ovarian cancers. Estimating the cumulative ovarian cancer risk following a breast cancer diagnosis in these women will help guide decisions regarding preventive salpingo-oophorectomy.
Methods: Women carrying a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation were followed after breast cancer and completed follow-up questionnaires every two years. The 15-year cumulative risk of ovarian cancer was estimated for women with a prior history of breast cancer and for matched control women without breast cancer.
Results: A total of 2084 BRCA carriers with breast cancer (1515 BRCA1, 569 BRCA2) were included. During a mean follow-up of 3.9 years, 71 ovarian/fallopian carcinomas were diagnosed (66 BRCA1, 5 BRCA2). The 15-year cumulative ovarian cancer risk was 14.9 % in BRCA1 and 5.1 % in BRCA2 carriers. Women with breast cancer were compared to those without; 1378 matched pairs were included. The 15-year cumulative risk of ovarian/fallopian cancer was 10.8 % in women with a history of breast cancer versus 25.9 % in those without. Among BRCA1 carriers, the risk was 12.2 % in women with breast cancer and 32.0 % in those without. Among BRCA2 carriers, the 15-year ovarian cancer risk was 2.0 % in both groups.
Conclusions: Ovarian cancer risk remains high in BRCA1/2 carriers following breast cancer diagnosis. For BRCA1 mutation carriers, the risk is lower than in women without breast cancer. However, for both BRCA1 and BRCA2 the ovarian cancer risk is elevated, and considering the poor prognosis associated with ovarian cancer, risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy is strongly recommended for women with BRCA-associated breast cancer.

