GENOMIC STUDY OF BREAST CANCER

Abstract

Since the beginning of the 20th century, breast cancer has become a major public health problem. The incidence of breast cancer has increased by over 300% in the past century, with most of the increase due to screening and ear- ly detection. This report summarizes the causes and effects of breast cancer and discusses the current recommendations for screening, the consequences of false positive results, and the development of new screening technologies. Breast cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States, accounting for nearly 30% of cancer-related deaths in this country. While there are many avenues to treat breast cancer – like chemo- therapy and radiation therapy, such generalized treatment modalities do not address a) the mutations responsible for carcinogenesis or b) factors respon- sible for breast cancer heterogeneity. Since breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease and the causes/contributing factors can vary from person to person, personalized medicine is the best solution to lower mortality rates and in- crease patients’ disease-free survival. Breast cancer cells have become resis- tant to radiation chemotherapy as well as anticancer agents and hence, the success rates for breast cancer treatment have decreased owing to cancer drug resistance. The contributions of redox heterogeneity in cancer cells and epi- genetic abnormalities (methylation, acetylation, gene expression modulation by dietary factors like phytochemicals and antioxidant plant metabolites has shown that some compounds such as flavonoids are capable of proffering che- mopreventive actions. Owing to the need to delve deeper into the mechanisms of cancer, and the need to obtain a deeper understanding of genetic and epi- genetic factors underlying breast cancer pathogenesis and pathophysiology, this work provides a basic review of breast cancer. The purpose of this report is to provide a comprehensive review of the aetiological causes of breast can- cer, its diagnosis, prognosis, mechanisms of initiation, progression & dissem- ination, as well as treatment modalities. This information can potentially help those who have not had a personal or family history of breast cancer or who are first-time patients. The report also reviews the most up-to-date information on the most effective treatment options.