title: Identifying progression predictors of breast ductal carcinoma in situ.
abstract: Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) refers to neoplastic epithelial cells proliferating within the mammary ducts of the breast, which have not breached the basement membrane nor invaded surrounding tissues. Traditional thinking holds that DCIS represents an early step in a linear progression towards invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). However, as only approximately half of DCIS cases progress to IDC, important questions around the key determinants of malignant progression need to be answered. Recent studies have revealed that molecular differences between DCIS and IDC cells are not found at the genomic level; instead, altered patterns of gene expression and post-translational regulation lead to distinct transcriptomic and proteomic profiles. Therefore, understanding malignant progression will require a different approach that takes into account the diverse tumour cell extrinsic factors driving changes in tumour cell gene expression necessary for the invasive phenotype. Here, we review the roles of the tumour stroma (including mesenchymal cells, immune cells and the extracellular matrix) and myoepithelial cells in malignant progression and make a case for a more integrated approach to the study and assessment of DCIS and its progression, or lack thereof, to invasive disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.|Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Joe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yeong
authors.affiliation: Division of Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Aye Aye
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Thike
authors.affiliation: Division of Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Puay Hoon
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Division of Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Jabed
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Iqbal
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D040901:Proteomics
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor
keywords: BREAST CANCER; BREAST PATHOLOGY; TUMOUR IMMUNITY; TUMOUR MARKERS