Vol 5, No 6 (2009)
Review paper
Published online: 2010-03-01

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Gene signature as a prognostic factor in breast cancer

Renata Duchnowska
Onkol. Prak. Klin 2009;5(6):237-243.

Abstract

Within the last years a concept of personalized medicine including individual treatment selection has appeared in oncology. This approach is hoped to increase treatment efficacy and decrease its toxicity. Most interest in this area attracts the development of molecular signatures (molecular profiles) with prognostic and predictive value. In this area, the most extensively studied malignancy is breast cancer, and the investigations have been focused on selection of low-risk groups of patients in whom postoperative chemotherapy may be avoided. The available data indicate that molecular profiles may carry stronger prognostic value than currently used clinical and pathological factors. Already now, the guidelines of St. Gallen conference, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) allow applying molecular profiles to predict prognosis in patients with ambiguous indications to adjuvant chemotherapy. However, due to retrospective nature of the studies to date and small series of patients, the real value of these assays is uncertain and warrants validation in large prospective studies.

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