Markers

There are numerous additional biomarkers under investigation. It is important to note that different biomarkers are likely to be useful for different reasons. Some biomarkers may help predict or determine responses to particular treatments and others may be useful in predicting how aggressive a particular cancer may be. Still other biomarkers are being tested as new diagnostic tools, for early detection of breast cancer.

Biomarkers can be found in the tumors themselves or in blood, urine, feces or even in breath samples.
They can be made of protein, RNA, or smaller biochemicals. Some biomarkers are actually measures of larger 'states' of the cell, including the stability of the chromosomes. There are too many under investigation to list them all here, but they include: Ki67 (a protein marker of cell division), chromosome length, and some microRNAs. For more details, see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=breast%20cancer%20biomarkers . There are numerous additional biomarkers under investigation. It is important to note that different biomarkers are likely to be useful for different reasons. Some biomarkers may help predict or determine responses to particular treatments and others may be useful in predicting how aggressive a particular cancer may be. Still other biomarkers are being tested as new diagnostic tools, for early detection of breast cancer.

Biomarkers can be found in the tumors themselves or in blood, urine, feces or even in breath samples.
They can be made of protein, RNA, or smaller biochemicals. Some biomarkers are actually measures of larger 'states' of the cell, including the stability of the chromosomes. There are too many under investigation to list them all here, but they include: Ki67 (a protein marker of cell division), chromosome length, and some microRNAs. For more details, see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=breast%20cancer%20biomarkers .