Breast Cancer Biomarkers

L ea rn h e re h o w p ro t e i n s c an h e l pi m p ro v e b rea s t c an ce r d e t e c t i o n

There are several types of biomarkers

By analyzing biomarkers, diagnostic tests can provide information about tumor development to detect breast cancer at an early, more

treatable stage.

Biomarkers can be helpful in managing patients in the following settings…

Risk Assessment

Identify factors to assess disease susceptibility

1

vThese biomarkers are frequently associated with a predisposition to cancer.

vThey can inform a woman's future risk of developing breast cancer.

vHealthcare providers often recommend that individuals with these gene mutations consider more frequent screenings in an attempt to detect breast cancer at an early stage.

Risk Assessment

Screening

Indicate the presence of disease

2

vBiomarkers for screening and detection are real-time indicators of the presence of cancer.

vThe body may respond to the presence of a tumor by creating and releasing immune factors (such as antibodies) or by shedding serum proteins, circulating tumor cells and DNA fragments into the bloodstream.

Screening

Diagnosis

Definitive diagnosis and general typing

3

vWhile the only way to confirm a breast cancer diagnosis is by biopsy, biomarkers can aid in diagnosis and help determine the primary origin of the tumor.

Diagnosis

Prognosis

Asses disease aggressiveness and likelihood of recurrence

4

vPrognostic biomarkers may provide information about a patients expected outcome.

vSome breast cancers are more aggressive than others and biomarkers can help determine which cancers may grow rapidly and/or metastasize.

Prognosis

Prediction

Predict efficacy to different treatments

5

vBiomarkers may be used to predict a patient's response to treatment.

v Or to determine the optimal drug dose or type used for breastcancer treatment.

vSince breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease, different cancers can respond differently to the same treatment methods.

Prediction

Monitoring

Monitor disease recurrence and therapeutic response

6

vBiomarkers may be used to predict and monitor a patient's breast cancer recurrence of the disease after treatment.

Monitoring

By using different types of biomarkers in breast cancer detection, another biological view of current disease state is available in addition to the anatomical view of breast

imaging.

What else are biomarkers doing for breast cancer detection?Tolearnmoreabouttheroledifferenttypesofbiomarkersplayincancerdetection,readourguidebelow:

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