Advances in the Molecular Analysis of Breast Cancer: Pathway toward Personalized Medicine

Abstract

Background Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease that encompasses a wide range of clinical behaviors and histological and molecular variants. It is the most common type of cancer affecting women worldwide and is the second leading cause of cancer death. Methods A comprehensive literature search was performed to explore the advances in molecular medicine related to the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Results During the last few decades, advances in molecular medicine have changed the landscape of cancer treatment as new molecular tests complement and, in many instances, exceed traditional methods for determining patient prognosis and response to treatment options. Personalized medicine is becoming the standard of care around the world. Developments in molecular profiling, genomic analysis, and the discovery of targeted drug therapies have significantly improved patient survival rates and quality of life. Conclusions This review highlights what pathologists need to know about current molecular tests for classification and prognostic/predictive assessment of breast carcinoma as well as their role as part of the medical team.