Understanding the risks of a second cancer after a breast cancer diagnosis in people with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations
https://www.facingourrisk.org/XRAY/second-cancer-risk-after-breast-cancer-with-inherited-BRCA-mutations
Full article: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7616773/
After breast cancer, people who have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation face a greater risk of a second cancer compared to individuals without a BRCA mutation. This study helps to better understand this risk so that breast cancer survivors with mutations can receive informed, personalized plans for surveillance and follow-up care. (Posted 12/11/25)
Questions To Ask Your Health Care Provider
- What are my risks for a new cancer?
- What additional cancer screening or prevention do I need, given my genetic test results?
- My initial genetic testing was done many years ago. Should I have updated genetic testing?
- Based on my risk, how often should I have screening for a new primary cancer?
Open Clinical Trials
The following cancer treatment studies are enrolling people with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation.
Advanced stage cancers of different types
- NCT04657068: Treatment with ATR Inhibitor for Advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors. This study looks at the effectiveness of a new oral targeted therapy known as an ATR inhibitor for advanced or metastatic solid tumors with mutations in genes linked to DNA damage repair. This study enrolls people who have an inherited or tumor mutation in BRCA or ATM or people with tumors that are HRD-positive. This study is open to people whose cancer stopped responding or progressed on PARP inhibitors.
- NCT03428802: Pembrolizumab in Treating Participants With Metastatic, Recurrent or Locally Advanced Cancer and Genomic Instability. This phase II trial studies how well pembrolizumab treats participants with cancer that has spread to other places in the body, has come back or has spread to nearby tissues or lymph nodes. The study is specifically enrolling people with inherited or tumor mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2.
Advanced-stage breast cancer
- NCT04039230: Study to Evaluate Sacituzumab Govitecan in Combination With Talazoparib in Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer. This effort studies the effect of the antibody-drug conjugate sacituzumab govitecan in combination with the PARP Inhibitor talazoparib in patients with metastatic TNBC.
- Several other clinical trials for patients with advanced-stage breast cancer can be found here.
Early-stage breast cancer
Ovarian cancer
Pancreatic cancer:
- NCT04150042: A Study of Melphalan, BCNU, Vitamin B12b, Vitamin C and Stem Cell Infusion in People with Advanced Pancreatic Cancer and BRCA Mutations. This study will look at whether combining melphalan, BCNU, vitamin B12b and vitamin C, followed by autologous (self) bone marrow stem cell infusion, is safe and effective for treating people with advanced pancreatic cancer who have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation.
- NCT04858334: Olaparib or Placebo in Patients with Surgically Removed Pancreatic Cancer who have a BRCA1, BRCA2 or PALB2 Mutation (APOLLO). The purpose of APOLLO is to compare the usual approach (observation) to treatment for one year with a drug called olaparib, in patients with a BRCA1, BRCA2 or PALB2 mutation.
- A number of other clinical trials for people with pancreatic cancer can be found here.
Early-stage prostate cancer
About FORCE
FORCE is a national nonprofit organization, established in 1999. Our mission is to improve the lives of individuals and families affected by adult hereditary cancers.