Measuring tumour heterogeneity

Heterogeneity

The diversity seen within tumours and between patients, affecting diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy choices.

Personalised medicine

Tailoring of medical treatment to individual patient characteristics.

Tumour sub-types

Classifications of breast cancer based on specific biomarkers like hormone receptor status or HER2 expression.

Intra-tumour heterogeneity

Genetic, epigenetic, and phenotypic variations within a single tumour leading to treatment resistance.

Inter-tumour heterogeneity

Differences between tumours from different patients, even if they are the same sub-type of breast cancer.

Tumour characteristics

Variations in cell types, genetic mutations, chromosomal alterations, and protein expression in breast cancer.

Biomarkers

Biological indicators used to guide treatment decisions.

Molecular biomarkers

Measurable indicators of biological states for diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring treatment responses.

Prognostic biomarkers

Indicators of the likely course or outcome of the disease, independent of treatment.

Predictive biomarkers

Indicators of the likelihood of response to a specific therapy.

Stratification

The process of categorising patients into subgroups based on genetic and molecular characteristics.

DCIS

Ductal carcinoma in situ, a non-invasive cancer confined to the ducts.

LCIS

Lobular carcinoma in situ, indicating increased risk of invasive breast cancer but not cancer itself.

Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC)

A type of breast cancer that has spread beyond the ducts.

Tumour grading

Reflects how much tumour cells differ from normal cells, indicating aggressiveness.

G1

Well differentiated tumour cells, similar to normal cells.

G4

Undifferentiated tumour cells, very abnormal and aggressive.

Tumour microenvironment

Components including epithelium, stroma, immune cells, and cancer stem cells.

Estrogen receptor (ER)

A protein that drives the growth of many breast cancers and is a target for hormone therapies.

HER2 protein receptor

A growth-promoting protein overexpressed in around 20% of breast cancers, indicating aggressive behaviour.

Immunohistochemistry

A technique used to measure receptor levels (ER and HER2) to guide treatment options.

Molecular subtypes

Classifications of breast cancers based on gene expressions, such as luminal A and HER2-enriched.

Biomarker panel assays

Tests like Oncotype DX and MammaPrint that analyze multiple genes to assess recurrence risk.

Prevention

Identifying at-risk individuals to reduce breast cancer incidence.

Prediction

Determining treatment response to optimize therapy outcomes.