SEQUENCING PANEL FOR LIQUID BIOPSY OF PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER

Breast cancer is the way to name those tumors that develop in breast tissues. There are two main types: ductal carcinoma and lobular carcinoma. To date, the diagnosis of breast cancer could only be confirmed by biopsy of the tumor. Liquid biopsy is a strategy with great potential in cancer management, including diagnosis, early detection of relapses or allowing monitoring of the disease state throughout treatment to see its evolution. Unlike tissue biopsy, it allows molecular analysis to be carried out in a much simpler and faster way. Currently, the molecular characterization of this type of tumor has advanced significantly thanks to NGS and gene expression technologies. However, the use of liquid biopsy to determine the existence of an incipient tumor has been far from routine clinical practice. Thanks to the massive sequencing panel of selected genes together with the use of molecular barcodes, it has been possible to develop a methodology that allows the diagnosis of breast cancer from biofluids (liquid biopsy), with high sensitivity. This enables detection in patients with early tumors which have little release of tumor material into the blood. This methodology is simple and fast, which enables it to be applied in hospital practice.

Advantages

• Allows detection of early breast tumors using liquid biopsy, a minimally invasive test for women. • It allows us to obtain crucial information on the molecular evolution also of advanced breast tumors using liquid biopsy. • It is a simple and quick methodology to apply, extrapolated to normal clinical practice.

Uses and Applications

The present invention is within the field of medicine and oncology, and refers to a sequencing panel for tumor tissues and liquid biopsy of breast cancer patients. The sequencing panels are genetic tests that include genes involved in the same pathology, in this case, aimed at breast cancer. The molecular characterization of this type of tumor has advanced remarkably thanks to NGS and gene expression technologies. However, the use of liquid biopsy to determine the existence of an incipient tumor has been far from routine clinical practice. The present invention solves this problem, since it allows the diagnosis of breast cancer from biofluids (liquid biopsy), with high sensitivity.