Ten types of breast cancer?

摘要

After years of study of almost 2000 breast cancers, a collaborative research group from Canada and the UK1 recently reported that they could identify ten distinct types of breast cancer, each associated with a different prognosis. Two broad categories of prognostic factors currently exist: those indicating the level of tumour advancement and those indicating tumour aggressiveness. Established prognostic factors-tumour size and number of affected nodes-which were identified in the 1960s, belong to both categories. These factors underpin the concept of early diagnosis and provide the impetus for screening. Other prognostic features tend to be used to subclassify tumours by their metastatic potential, are generally stable throughout the natural history of the cancer (ie, tumours rarely switch classes), and are the basis of personalised treatment.