Interesting Research on Breast Cancer Genomes - Different Subtypes identified

[bejuce]

I attended the following seminar at UCSF this past Monday:

Genomic and Transcriptomic Landscapes of 1,000 Breast Cancers Carlos Caldas, MD, Professor of Cancer Medicine, University of Cambridge, Senior Group Leader, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute

“We have now completed the analysis of 1000 breast cancer genomes using high-resolution SNP arrays, gene expression arrays and focused mutation analysis (including TP53). The pathology of the tumors was rigorously assessed and information on histological type, grade, size, lymph node metastasis and ER was available for all cases. This study reveals the molecular taxonomy of breast cancer is more complex than gleaned until now. A copy-number based classification of breast cancer shows there are new subtypes that have been previously missed. Copy number vs. gene expression correlation has highlighted both copy-number dependent as well as copy-number independent chromosomal loci. New breast cancer oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes have been identified. The genomic landscape of breast cancer is therefore extremely complex and this has both biological and clinical implications.”


The talk was pretty scientific, but I got some interesting takeaways out of it:


1. There are many breast cancer and tumor suppressor genes that are being researched and yet to be identified in full;
2. It is evident from their research that some DCIS are very genomically unstable while others are not (thereby explaining how some on these board have DCIS that goes on to stage IV quickly, while others do not);
3. There appears to be a distinct class/subtype within the ER+ tumors;
4. Loss of cromosome 16 are more common in grade-1 tumors (not sure exactly the impact of this);
5. Amplification of MYC-PVT1 gene is more common in ER+ tumors;

6. There is a class of ER- tumors with an inflammatory component with very good prognosis; and
7. MYC overexpression is oncogenic and aggressive.


I'll be posting research abstracts from time to time as part of a new advocacy role that I'm taking on (more on that later, my kids want me to play now).

Wishing you all a Happy Halloween!