The quantitative detection of total HER2 load by quantum dots and the identification of a new subtype of breast cancer with different 5-year prognosis.
Accurate classification is fundamental for breast cancer (BC) personalized care. Current BC classification based on the either traditional morphological staging or molecular signatures seems inefficient to reveal the"true"behaviors of invasive BC evolution. An appropriate approach combining the macro- and micro-pathologic information might be more useful academically as well as clinically. Here we explore a holistic approach by integrating a key molecular prognostic indicator of BC, HER2, with quantitative determination using quantum dots (QDs)--based nanotechnology and spectral analysis, and a key macropathologic indicator, tumor size, resulting a new indicator, total HER2 load. This indicator might better reveal BC heterogeneity and new subtypes of BC with different 5-year disease-free survival compared with current methods, which could be helpful in formulating a more personalized targeted therapy for BC. Furthermore, this mode integrating macro- and micro-pathological indicators might help gain new insights into invasive BC biological behaviors.
Chen
Chuang
C
Department of Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, No 169 Donghu Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan 430071, PR China.
Xia
He-Shun
HS
Gong
Yi-Ping
YP
Peng
Jun
J
Peng
Chun-Wei
CW
Hu
Ming-Bai
MB
Zhu
Xiao-Bo
XB
Pang
Dai-Wen
DW
Sun
Sheng-Rong
SR
Li
Yan
Y
D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D036103:Nanotechnology; D011379:Prognosis; D045663:Quantum Dots; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis
D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases