Molecular profile in breast cancer

Abstract

Over recent decades breast cancer research has undergone a real revolution thanks to the emergence of novel technologies based on high throughput gene expression analysis. Gene-expression profiling has made a significant contribution to our understanding of breast cancer biology, and clinical researchers have moved from “semantic” classification of breast cancer subclasses by pathology-based biomarkers (e.g. estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and HER2 status) into new genomic classifiers. The terminology of intrinsic subtypes was adopted by the 2011 St. Gallen Consensus Conference to describe the paradigm for making treatment decisions in patients with breast cancer. Apart from expanding prognostic knowledge, the application of molecular profiling will allow prediction of treatment efficacy and forecasting of outcomes for individual patients with breast cancer. Currently available tests include Oncotype DX™, NanoString PAM50 test (Prosigna®), MammaPrint® and EndoPredict. Prospective clinical trials adding these tests are currently ongoing.