Concurrent DNA Copy‐Number Alterations and Mutations in Genes Related to Maintenance of Genome Stability in Uninvolved Mammary Glandular Tissue from Breast Cancer Patients

Somatic mosaicism for DNA copy-number alterations (SMC-CNAs) is defined as gain or loss of chromosomal segments in somatic cells within a single organism. As cells harboring SMC-CNAs can undergo clonal expansion, it has been proposed that SMC-CNAs may contribute to the predisposition of these cells to genetic disease including cancer. Herein, the gross genomic alterations (>500 kbp) were characterized in uninvolved mammary glandular tissue from 59 breast cancer patients and matched samples of primary tumors and lymph node metastases. Array-based comparative genomic hybridization showed 10% (6/59) of patients harbored one to 359 large SMC-CNAs (mean: 1,328 kbp; median: 961 kbp) in a substantial portion of glandular tissue cells, distal from the primary tumor site. SMC-CNAs were partially recurrent in tumors, albeit with considerable contribution of stochastic SMC-CNAs indicating genomic destabilization. Targeted resequencing of 301 known predisposition and somatic driver loci revealed mutations and rare variants in genes related to maintenance of genomic integrity: BRCA1 (p.Gln1756Profs*74, p.Arg504Cys), BRCA2 (p.Asn3124Ile), NCOR1 (p.Pro1570Glnfs*45), PALB2 (p.Ser500Pro), and TP53 (p.Arg306*). Co-occurrence of gross SMC-CNAs along with point mutations or rare variants in genes responsible for safeguarding genomic integrity highlights the temporal and spatial neoplastic potential of uninvolved glandular tissue in breast cancer patients.