BRCA carriers have similar reproductive potential at baseline to noncarriers: comparisons in cancer and cancer-free cohorts undergoing fertility preservation

Objective: To investigate whether BRCA carriers with and without malignancy have decreased ovarian reserve at baseline compared with BRCA noncarriers. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Academic medical center. Patient(s): Seven-hundred and ninety-five oocyte cryopreservation patients, comprising BRCA carriers with and without malignancy (n = 57) and BRCA noncarriers (n = 738). Intervention(s): Fertility preservation with oocyte cryopreservation. Main Outcome Measure(s): Antral follicle count (AFC), antim_ ullerian hormone (AMH) concentration, day-3 follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) level, number of harvested oocytes, and number of mature/cryopreserved oocytes. Result(s): In the cancer cohort we compared BRCA-positive breast cancer (n = 38) with BRCA-negative breast cancer (n = 53) and with non-breast-cancer malignancies (n = 85). In the cancer-free cohort we compared BRCA carriers (n = 19) with women undergoing elective egg freezing (n = 600). We also compared the BRCA1 (n = 31) versus the BRCA2 carriers (n = 18). The patients' mean ages were 32.4 +/- 3.6 years and 35.5 +/- 4.3 years in the BRCA carrier and noncarrier cohorts, respectively. BRCA status was associated with a higher day-3 FSH level in the cancer cohort, but we found no changes in the other outcomes compared with the BRCAnegative cancer groups. BRCA carriers without cancer exhibited a higher AFC and number of mature oocytes compared with the patients undergoing planned egg freezing. Overall (cancer and cancer-free cohorts), the BRCA carriers had an increased AFC (15.5 +/- 4.6 vs. 12.6 +/- 5.7) and number of mature/cryopreserved oocytes (14.0 +/- 7.9 vs. 10.4 +/- 6.9) compared with the BRCA noncarriers but had no differences in other outcomes. Conclusion(s): BRCA carriers with and without malignancy exhibit comparable ovarian reserve and responses to ovarian stimulation compared with women with BRCA-negative cancers and cancer-free controls. ((C) 2018 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.) El resumen esta disponible en Espanol al final del articulo.