Molecular diagnostics in breast cancer routine practice

Abstract

The portfolio of adjuvant systemic treatment of breast cancer nowadays contains novel anti-hormonal and chemotherapeutic drugs, immunotherapeutic approaches and small molecules that are only effective in a limited number of patients and are often associated with high costs and significant side effects. Therefore, a personalised approach based on individual tumour biomarkers is required to arrive at the optimal balance between effectiveness on the one hand, and costs and side effects on the other. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the molecular biomarkers and associated molecular tests that are currently relevant in pathology of invasive breast cancer.