Breast cancer accounts for approximately 25% of new cancer cases each year and 13% of all cancer deaths in Canadian women. Breast cancer, which was once considered a homogenous tissue disease, is now known to be a complex, heterogeneous disease. Breast cancer in patients is individual and has different molecular make-ups; therefore, precision oncology promises to significantly improve treatment options.
To better comprehend the individual nature of breast cancer in patients, the implementation of integrated ‘omics solutions is needed to understand the combined effects of genomic and epigenomic changes in driving cancer progression and deliver on the promise of precision medicine.
Emerging research in breast cancer implicates epigenomics in the regulation of multiple cancer processes, including treatment response. Additionally, epigenomics data across cancer driver genes from different ethnic groups shows that molecular processes are influenced by differences in ethnicity. This highlights the diagnostic importance of epigenomic features for equitable delivery of healthcare to patients.
Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) and Thermo Fisher Scientific have collaborated to develop and validate novel panel-based targeted approaches for the evaluation of epigenetic alterations in breast cancer to address two major needs: improved predictive and prognostic assays for all breast cancer patients and a focused study comparing methylation profiles between cancers in ethnic minority groups.
“We’re investigating the impact of ethnicity in the biology of breast cancer. We are developing new tools to improve the diagnosis of breast cancer patients and accelerate personalized treatment based on the biology of their disease.”
– Dr. Melanie Spears, Principal Research Scientist, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research.
