Identification by array comparative genomic hybridization of a new amplicon on chromosome 17q highly recurrent in BRCA1 mutated triple negative breast cancer

Introduction Triple Negative Breast Cancers (TNBC) represent about 12% to 20% of all breast cancers (BC) and have a worse outcome compared to other BC subtypes. TNBC often show a deficiency in DNA double-strand break repair mechanisms. This is generally related to the inactivation of a repair enzymatic complex involving BRCA1 caused either by genetic mutations, epigenetic modifications or by post-transcriptional regulations. The identification of new molecular biomarkers that would allow the rapid identification of BC presenting a BRCA1 deficiency could be useful to select patients who could benefit from PARP inhibitors, alkylating agents or platinum-based chemotherapy.