The use of biomarkers helps combat this disease more precisely.
Highlights:
- Cancer is a genetic disease caused by changes or variants in the genes that control the growth and reproduction of cells.
- Understanding the genetic characteristics of cancer cells helps us target them more precisely with drugs.
- A biomarker denotes any biological component that can be measured in blood, body fluids, or tissues and may be a sign of a condition or disease.
- According to INEGI data, the incidence of breast cancer in Mexico is 18 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants aged 20 and over.
- The fight to discover, develop, and optimize biomarkers that can improve prognosis and treatment outcomes must intensify.
Cancer is a genetic disease caused by changes or variants in the genes that control the growth and reproduction of cells. In the billions of cells that we have in our body, with age, due to our lifestyle, among other factors, can accumulate genetic mutations that increase the probability of generating cancer. These pathogenic variants can cause cells to become immortal and multiply uncontrollably. In addition, some can turn on genes that make normal cells cancerous; others can turn off genes that typically protect our bodies against this process. Therefore, breast cancer is not a single disease but a myriad of conditions. We can think of each patient as a snowflake, each flake different from another. Each case with various genetic alterations and with different management and treatment options.
In the fifties, American scientist Elwood V. Jensen described the estrogen receptor as a diagnostic tool and therapeutic target for breast cancer, leading to the creation of specific treatments for this condition. The cells of this type of breast cancer have receptors that allow them to use estrogen to grow and can be treated in a targeted way with drugs that block the effects of this hormone. This is an example of a biomarker, a concept first described in 1987 that denotes any biological component that can be measured in blood, body fluids, or tissues and may be a sign of a condition or disease.
Understanding the genetic characteristics of cancer cells helps us target them more precisely with drugs. They allow us to understand the prognosis, find a personalized treatment approach, help identify the disease early, and manage it throughout treatment. In addition, they can be used to predict the likelihood of cancer spread and recurrence and give treatment recommendations. Likewise, identifying biomarkers can solve the problem of drug resistance, which is an obstacle in treating breast cancer.
17.94 deaths per 100,000 women is the death rate in Mexico due to cancer.
INEGI
Biomarkers can be DNA, RNA, proteins, or even cells that help us diagnose the specific type of breast cancer. According to INEGI data, the incidence of breast cancer in Mexico is 18 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants aged 20 and over, with a growing number of patients requiring unique personalized treatment. Personalized medicine considers individual differences in genes and the patient’s environment and lifestyle, making it possible to give the right drug to the right patient at the right time. This field has an immediate and significant clinical impact on many aspects of oncology, especially by offering molecularly targeted therapies.
The fight to discover, develop, and optimize biomarkers that can improve prognosis and treatment outcomes must intensify. However, to really increase success rates and make drug development more efficient, we need to be more informative and enable early detection. The use of artificial intelligence technologies, for example, can undoubtedly have the potential to enhance this process of developing biomarkers and deploying anti-cancer drugs.
