A rare case of multiple-primary cancer in a woman with BRCA 1 gene mutation: BRCA-associated ovarian cancer and lung carcinoid tumor

Inherited mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes more often provoke the development of metachronous tumors compared to the general population. Women who carry inherited BRCA1 mutations have an increased risk of developing not only breast and ovarian cancers, but they have also increased risks of developing other types of cancers, such as cervical cancer, endometrial (uterine), ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, and salivary gland cancers. Common views on the pathogenesis of hereditary cancers imply that the development of the tumor is always preceded by the loss of the remaining (normal) allele of the involved gene. Nevertheless, there is reliable information that some BRCA1-associated ovarian cancers demonstrate retention of the second BRCA1copy. We report a rare case of the development of neuroendocrine cell carcinoma- metachronous ovarian cancer and lung carcinoid tumor in the patient with the BRCA1 gene mutation. In addition, the tumor demonstrated loss of heterozygosity at the BRCA1 locus (loss of the wild-type allele).