Tumor heterogeneity and clinically invisible micrometastases in metastatic breast cancer-a call for enhanced surveillance strategies.

ABSTRACT: The biology of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is understudied, primarily due to the difficulty of procuring multiple samples from patients with oligometastatic breast cancer. We developed a rapid postmortem tissue procurement program that allows the collection and analysis of numerous metastatic lesions, subclinical locations, and potential pre-metastatic niches that fall within this scope. We conducted a rapid postmortem tissue collection study on 9 patients with MBC. Patients and their families consented to donate tissues immediately after death in an IRB-approved study. Various disease subtypes, progression histories, organ involvement, and final causes of death are reported. In patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+) disease, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), HE

SUBMITTER: Bacon ER 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10980766 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature