Two new biomarkers are associated with breast cancer progression

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

New research finds biomarkers that will predict the spread of breast cancer.
Earlier prediction of whether a tumor has spread is an important goal in breast cancer research. Often an analysis of nearby lymph gland tissue will give some indication of whether the cancer is progressing, but this approach can also give rise o both false positive and false negative results. Now researchers at the John Wayne Cancer Institute in California reveal details of a molecular approach which may give more accurate data.

They analyzed biopsy material from primary tumors in 65 women with breast cancer. This showed revealed two new biomarkers for cancer spread. A biomarker is a protein which is associated with a disease pathology; it may be 'overexpressed' - that is, be present in greater than expected amount or, oppositely, 'underexpressed' - which means there is less than expected. In this study, one of the biomarkers was overexpressed, the other underexpressed.

When the biomarker data was compared to lymph node data, it was found to be 88 per cent accurate in predicting spread. This means that biomarker analysis done on the primary tumor biopsy - which is taken anyway on diagnosis - could provide valuable information on prognosis. This, in turn, could save some women from unnecessary treatment while ensuring others are offered a more aggressive approach, as appropriate.

Source
Cancer Research 15th December 2006

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