Risk Assessment for Sporadic Breast Cancer: The Need for a Molecular Profile

David N Danforth

Department of Surgery, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health,Bethesda, USA

^*Correspondance to: David N Danforth 

 PDF  Full Text DOI: 10.25107/2474-1647.1921

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women. Many women are at risk for breast cancer, and the assessment of this risk is important in their care and management. Several models are available to determine risk for breast cancer, however these models may not apply to many women, or may have limitations for selection of women who may or may not benefit from prevention therapy. Molecular profiling is now standard practice in the care of women with breast cancer, raising the possibility that a molecular profile of normal breast tissue, from which breast cancer develops, may be feasible and of value for risk assessment. Such a profile might be valuable for women who do not have identifiable risk factors, or may compliment existing risk assessment models in several ways. Normal breast tissue is known to contain a range of gene expression and other genomic abnormalities, and is also accessible for analysis. Several factors must be considered in the development of such a profile, including endpoints, genomic character of the profile, and the normal at-risk tissues to be studied. Together these observations support the feasibility and encourage efforts to develop a molecular profile of normal breast tissue for breast cancer risk assessment in women.

Keywords

Breast cancer; Breast cancer risk; Sporadic breast cancer risk assessment; Molecular profile; Normal breast tissue; Risk assessment profile

Cite the article

Danforth DN. Risk Assessment for Sporadic Breast Cancer: The Need for a Molecular Profile. Clin Surg. 2018; 3: 1921.