Researchers at Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center have developed a molecular map of breast cancer that identifies several previously unrecognized subtypes with distinct outcomes and treatment responses.
The team used gene expression data from more than 7,600 tumors across 22 studies to build the atlas, with the goal of classifying tumors by their biology rather than standard receptor testing alone. The research was published Nov. 3 in Cell Reports Medicine.
Researchers said a patient’s tumor could one day be matched to a spot on the atlas, helping care teams choose therapies and identify appropriate clinical trials.
The team built an online tool that classifies tumors into the new subtypes using routine RNA sequencing data. The tool is intended to support future research and trial design.
“The next critical step is prospective testing to determine whether treatment decisions guided by these transcriptional subtypes improve patient outcomes,” corresponding author Brian Lehmann, PhD, research associate professor of medicine at Vanderbilt Health, said in a Nov. 3 news release. “Our goal is to match patients to therapies based on the biology of their tumors. This atlas provides both a road map and a practical framework for achieving that vision.”
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