St John of God Subiaco Hospital first in WA to recruit women into ground breaking BRCA1 trial
10 Dec 2020
St John of God Subiaco Hospital is the first private facility in Western Australia to take part in a ground breaking international clinical trial aiming to prevent breast cancer in women who have the BRCA1 gene.
The BRCA-P trial, led by St John of God Subiaco Hospital Breast Surgeon Prof Christobel Saunders AO, will explore if Denosumab, a pharmaceutical drug currently used to treat osteoporosis, is safe and effective in preventing breast cancer in women carrying the hereditary BRCA1 gene.
It is estimated that at least one in 400 women in the developed world has BRCA1. Over the course of a lifetime, women carrying the gene have a 70% risk of developing breast cancer and a 40% risk of developing ovarian cancer.
While regular breast cancer screening can enable the early detection of the disease, there are currently limited preventative treatment options available. Consequently, many women opt to have both healthy breasts surgically removed to protect themselves against developing the condition.
The five year trial is being coordinated in Australia by Breast Cancer Trials and led by the Austrian Breast & Colorectal Cancer Study Group. Collectively, the international trial will recruit 2,918 women from seven countries, including approximately 300 women from Australia.
While St John of God Subiaco Hospital is the only private hospital in Western Australia recruiting for the trial, eligible patients from other facilities are invited to participate.
Prof Saunders said the BRCA-P trial is a world first, aiming to prevent breast cancer from occurring without surgical intervention in those who are at the highest risk.
“Women with the BRCA1 gene have a significantly higher chance of developing breast cancer and are also more likely to develop cancer at a younger age. While a preventative double mastectomy is a highly effective treatment option, surgery itself carries risks, and can be physically and emotionally challenging.”
“Our hope is that the drug will switch off the BRCA1 cells before they become cancerous, providing an alternate, less invasive preventative option compared to surgery and improve outcomes for women with the BRCA1 gene.”
“The results are highly anticipated and if successful, this trial could redefine how breast cancer is prevented throughout Australia and across the world,” Prof Saunders said.
Twenty-six year old resident, Laura Taylor (pictured), is the trial’s first participant.
“I found out that I have the BRCA1 gene when I was 21 years old. It was a bit of a shock, as I inherited the gene from the Dad’s side of the family and did not expect to be positive.”
“While I am still young the thought of possible preventative surgery in the future is daunting.”
“My Specialist, Prof Christobel Saunders, told me about the trial and I figured I had nothing to lose. My involvement will hopefully help someone in the future and may even be beneficial to me.”
St John of God Subiaco Hospital Chief Executive Officer Prof Shirley Bowen said the hospital’s ongoing investment in health and medical research is central to the delivery of exceptional patient care.
“Over the past 12 months, St John of God Subiaco Hospital has had 54 new research studies approved, 41 of which are specific to oncology.”
“We are very pleased to be involved in this innovative trial, investigating such an important area of research and ensuring women in WA have access to the latest treatment,” Prof Bowen said.
“Most of our oncologists and cancer specialists at St John of God Subiaco Hospital are involved in research and many have contributed to WA having the best survival rates worldwide for a number of cancer types.”
Find out more information about the BRCA-P trial and register your interest.