New Study Identifies Four Types of Breast Cancer

Specializing in breast reconstruction surgery, Dr. Franklyn Elliott knows it’s important to understand the biology of breast cancer and how it affects patients and their families. As an educator who frequently speaks at national and international plastic and reconstructive surgery conferences about breast procedures and techniques, he stays abreast of the latest breast cancer research.

A new study published in the journal Nature, reports that researchers performed a major analysis of breast cancer genetics  finding more information about the 4 different types of breast cancer, specifically how they differ.

The researchers analyzed DNA of breast cancer tumors from 825 patients and found approximately 40 key differences in the genes among the 4 major types of breast cancer (basal-like or triple negative, luminal A, luminal B and HER2-enriched).  This study differs from previous breast cancer research as scientists focused on the biological details of tumors rather than studying where the cancer occured in the breast.

The study’s results are impactful because they can potentially lead to more effective breast cancer drugs and treatments.  Dr. Matthew Ellis, co-leader of the research, stated: “Now we can investigate which drugs work best for patients based on the genetic profiles of their tumors.”

For the over 200,000 women predicted to be diagnosed with breast cancer this year in the U.S., this is an important advancement.   The first annual Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day to be held on October 17th, 2012 to help educate women about their breast reconstruction options.  Dr. Elliott will also be speaking at Plastic Surgery The Meeting, at the end of October on methods of breast reconstruction to fellow plastic surgeons.

If you are interested in learning more about breast reconstruction surgery, or other breast procedures, please contact us today. Be sure to connect with Dr. Elliott on Facebook, Twitter, and Google + for the latest cosmetic and reconstructive surgery news.