The translational impact of molecular pathology for healthcare providers: what can we learn from breast cancer genomics?

Nicola Fusco
IRCCS Ca' Granda - Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico & University of Milan


The study of cancer genomics has revealed alterations in genes that are able to drive the development and growth of many types of cancer. This knowledge is providing the room for improving our understanding of the biology of cancer, leading to new methods of diagnosing and managing the disease.Although a large number of driver alterations have been identified in several tumor types through large-scale research studies, new avenues are currently expanding the use of molecular pathology to investigate the biology that underpins clinical phenotypes. In this regard, breast cancer represents the paradigmatic example of how the integration of different expertise is fundamental in achieving the goal of precision medicine. In this seminar, we will discuss the operational implications of the novel advances in the molecular pathology of breast cancer in everyday clinical practice. The importance of this attitude in other types of cancer, including head and neck and lung cancers, will be also discussed.