Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38091153›Full record

ArticleBreast cancer research and treatment2024

Clinicopathologic and genetic analysis of invasive breast carcinomas in women with germline CHEK2 variants.

Christopher J Schwartz, Nikka Khorsandi, Amie Blanco, Rita A Mukhtar, Yunn-Yi Chen, Gregor Krings

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Breast cancer research and treatment, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
3.8field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Breast-Ovarian Hereditary Cancer Syndrome: BeyondCurrent oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2026
    Review
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  4. Introducing anxiety as a risk factor of gastric cancer.Gastroenterology and hepatology from bed to bench · 2026
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Molecular Basis of Breast Tumor Heterogeneity.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2025
    Review
  9. Translational breast cancer research : a journal focusing on translational research in breast cancer · 2025
    Review
  10. Article
  11. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Christopher J SchwartzDepartment of Pathology, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), 1825 4th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA. schwarc1@mskcc.org.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8086-8429
Nikka KhorsandiDepartment of Pathology, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), 1825 4th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
Amie BlancoDepartment of Cancer Genetics and Prevention Program, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Rita A MukhtarDepartment of Surgery, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Yunn-Yi ChenDepartment of Pathology, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), 1825 4th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
Gregor KringsDepartment of Pathology, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), 1825 4th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
University of California, San Francisco · USCancer Genetics (United States) · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeGermline pathogenic variants in checkpoint kinase 2 (CHEK2) are associated with a moderately increased risk of breast cancer (BC). The spectrum of clinicopathologic features and genetics of these tumors has not been fully established.

methodsWe characterized the histopathologic and clinicopathologic features of 44 CHEK2-associated BCs from 35 women, and assessed responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. A subset of cases (n = 23) was additionally analyzed using targeted next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS).

resultsMost (94%, 33/35) patients were heterozygous carriers for germline CHEK2 variants, and 40% had the c.1100delC allele. Two patients were homozygous, and five had additional germline pathogenic variants in ATM (2), PALB2 (1), RAD50 (1), or MUTYH (1). CHEK2-associated BCs occurred in younger women (median age 45 years, range 25-75) and were often multifocal (20%) or bilateral (11%). Most (86%, 38/44) were invasive ductal carcinomas of no special type (IDC-NST). Almost all (95%, 41/43) BCs were ER + (79% ER + HER2-, 16% ER + HER2 + , 5% ER-HER2 +), and most (69%) were luminal B. Nottingham grade, proliferation index, and results of multiparametric molecular testing were heterogeneous. Biallelic CHEK2 alteration with loss of heterozygosity was identified in most BCs (57%, 13/23) by NGS. Additional recurrent alterations included GATA3 (26%), PIK3CA (226%), CCND1 (22%), FGFR1 (22%), ERBB2 (17%), ZNF703 (17%), TP53 (9%), and PPM1D (9%), among others. Responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy were variable, but few patients (21%, 3/14) achieved pathologic complete response. Most patients (85%) were without evidence of disease at time of study (n = 34). Five patients (15%) developed distant metastasis, and one (3%) died (mean follow-up 50 months).

conclusionAlmost all CHEK2-associated BCs were ER + IDC-NST, with most classified as luminal B with or without HER2 overexpression. NGS supported the luminal-like phenotype and confirmed CHEK2 as an oncogenic driver in the majority of cases. Responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy were variable but mostly incomplete.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsAdultAgedCarrier ProteinsCheckpoint Kinase 2FemaleGenetic Predisposition to DiseaseGerm CellsGerm-Line MutationHumansMiddle AgedCarrier ProteinsCheckpoint Kinase 2CHEK2 protein, humanZNF703 protein, humanBreast cancerCHEK2Estrogen receptorGenomicsHereditaryNeoadjuvant

Identifiers

PMID38091153
PMCPMC10806021
OpenAlexW4389685272

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.