Commentary on 'the role of the breast cancer surgeon in personalized cancer care: Clinical utility of the 21-gene assay'

摘要

In this issue of the American Journal of Surgery, La-ronga et al reviews the trajectory and implications of breast cancer management in the era of "personalized medicine" by focusing on genetic profiling of breast tumors. Genetic profiling is a short-hand notation for technologies including gene expression measurement, gene copy number determination, and genomic sequencing. During the past 40 years, the diagnosis of breast cancer has evolved. The past 4 decades saw introduction of the estrogen receptor (ER) into clinical practice, the discovery and application of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) testing, the discovery and use of BRCA1 and BRCA2 testing, and the use of genetic profiling to understand and predict breast cancer behavior. These advances in science and technology have resulted in improved patient outcomes and quality of care. Along with these advances, using a multidisciplinary approach in breast cancer management accelerates the introduction of improvements in care, including individualized treatment.