About 1 in 250 people carry a high-risk pathogenic variant in one of the breast/ovarian cancer susceptibility genes — BRCA1 and BRCA2.
Breast Cancer Foundation information shows the risk of getting breast cancer is thought to be about 57% for BRCA1 mutations, and 49% for BRCA2.
And 40% of women with a BRCA1 mutation would develop ovarian cancer by age 70, and 18% with BRCA2.
University of Otago (Christchurch) Mackenzie Cancer Research Group research fellow Dr George Wiggins has received a $220,000 Emerging Researcher Grant from the Canterbury Medical Research Foundation (CMRF), to investigate potential novel preventive therapies for women at high risk of breast and ovarian cancers.
Dr Wiggins said it would allow him and his team to continue their investigations into an area of research where new and effective prevention strategies were "sorely needed".
"Traditional options for preventing these cancers for women carrying the BRCA1 and BRCA2 susceptibility genes, include the likes of risk-reducing surgery.
"However, for many women, this strategy is unwanted due to reasons such as fertility and menopause concerns.
"Providing doctors with a non-invasive and easily accessible preventive therapy for women at high risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer would have numerous benefits for the health system, patients and their whānau, including reducing inequity in health outcomes."
He said his lab discoveries and collaboration with the world-leading Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2 (CIMBA), meant he was uniquely positioned to investigate potential novel and personalised preventive therapies.
"Through this collaboration, we have published evidence that common DNA copy number variants, modify the cancer risk for individuals with pathogenic variants in BRCA1 and BRCA2.
"These studies provide crucial data to guide development of potential novel preventive therapies.
"To better assess and prioritise these candidate preventives, we are developing models that better mimic women at high-risk of cancers.
"It’s been shown that large genetic studies play a critical role in developing novel therapies and our study has the potential to first benefit Cantabrians through future activation of local clinical trials."
Dr Wiggins is one of eight University of Otago (Christchurch) researchers to receive a share of $1.5 million from the Canterbury Medical Research Foundation (CMRF), to investigate cures for cancer, heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease or mental health.
Other CMRF Grants recipients were:
• Special Project Grant — Prof Margreet Vissers and Dr Annika Seddon (epigenetic modulation for targeted therapy in acute myeloid leukaemia).
• Major Project Grants — Dr Amanda Landers (pancreatic cancer research); Dr Teagan Edwards (inflammatory bowel disease in children); Dr Jenni Manuel (the impact of social and environmental factors on infant mental health treatment outcomes); Dr Simone Cree (investigating growth differentiation factor-15 as a predictive biomarker of cardiovascular disease in the Canterbury Pacific population); Dr Gemma Moir-Meyer (identifying novel genetic drivers of heart disease to improve health outcomes for Cantabrians); Dr Zoe Ordering (development of a cognitive health programme following a first episode of psychosis).
