The Impact of <em>BRCA</em> Mutations in Ovarian Cancer

Clinical Pearls

Franco M. Muggia, MD, professor of oncology, New York University, director, Division of Medical Oncology, New York University Medical Center, discusses the impact of BRCA mutations in ovarian cancer.

• The cloning of theBRCAgenes in the early 1990s has allowed researchers to gain much insight about the biology of ovarian cancer
• BRCAgenes are involved in DNA repair
• The majority of ovarian cancers are high-grade serous, which start in the fallopian tubes, not the ovaries
• Researchers now have a better understanding of past challenges, how to guide therapeutics, and the need to focus on molecular subtypes