Point of Care Diagnostic test for Molecular Subtyping of Breast Cancer (PoCBreCa) Study Project Summary The incidence of breast cancer in low and middle-income countries (LMIC) is rising rapidly. Despite this, very little is known about the epidemiology of molecular subtypes of breast cancer in these countries because of lack of facilities, resources and personnel for immunohistochemistry (IHC), the current gold standard for molecular subtyping of breast cancer. Innovative strategies that combine nanotechnology, photonics, miniaturization and cell phone networks to develop new technologies and kits can overcome these limitations and increase availability of molecular subtyping of breast cancer in LMIC. Increased availability of molecular subtyping will enable epidemiological research into the determinants and secular trend in the incidence of molecular subtypes of breast cancer in LMIC where previous studies have yielded conflicting results. It will also empower clinicians in their choice of breast cancer treatment, prediction of response and prognosis. The kits that we propose to develop in this project will generate quantitative results which will open new research and treatment opportunities for precision medicine based on quantitative levels of hormone receptors, its determinants and associations with germline and somatic, genetic and epigenetic variations. In this project, researchers at University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore and Cornell University in the United States, and Center for Bioethics and Research, and the University of Ibadan in Nigeria work together to develop and pilot-test a point of care diagnostic kit for molecular subtyping of breast tumors and compare it to IHC in order to overcome current challenges and open new opportunities for breast cancer research.
Point of Care Diagnostic test for Molecular Subtyping of Breast Cancer (PoCBreCa) Study Project narrative In this project, researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore and Cornell University, New York in the United States and the Center for Bioethics and Research and University of Ibadan, Nigeria collaborate to develop point of care diagnostic kit for molecular subtyping of breast cancer which would increase the availability of molecular diagnosis, transform breast cancer treatment and research, and improve knowledge of the epidemiology and secular trends in breast cancer and its subtypes in LMIC.
