Study suggests breast cancer is clutch of 10 diseases
Scientists who conducted a major international study into the genetics of breast cancer say they can now classify the disease into 10 subtypes – a finding that points to more accurate, tailored treatment for individual patients in future.
In research published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, a team led by scientists at the Cancer Research UK (CRUK) charity also found several completely new genes that drive breast cancer, offering potential targets for new types of drugs.
Carlos Caldas, who co-led the study at CRUK’s Cambridge Research Institute and the University of Cambridge said the findings mean breast cancer should now be seen as an “umbrella term” for a larger number of diseases.
“Essentially we’ve moved from knowing what a breast tumor looks like under a microscope to pinpointing its molecular anatomy,” he said.
“This research won’t affect women diagnosed with breast cancer today. But in the future, .. patients will receive treatment targeted to the genetic fingerprint of their tumor.”
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide, accounting for 16 percent of all female cancer cases, according to the World Health Organization.
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