Translational Genomics and Precision Medicine in Metastatic Breast Cancer

ABSTRACT: Over the past decade, genomic characterization of tumors from cancer patients obtained through large-scale sequencing projects has shed enormous light on the molecular underpinnings of cancer. These discoveries have, in turn, led to the development of novel therapies and preventive measures that have already revolutionized cancer care. Despite this tremendous progress, there remains much more that we need to develop better treatments for metastatic cancer. In this presentation, we will discuss translational genomics approaches and precision medicine strategies for metastatic breast cancer. We will focus on how genomic and molecular characterization of metastatic tumor samples from patients sheds light on the biology of metastatic breast cancer and enables the development of strategies to overcome or prevent drug resistance. We will discuss the landscape of mutations in metastatic breast cancer, the potential clinical impact of genomic profiling, and the incorporation of genomic information into clinical care and clinical trials. We will also discuss how partnering directly with patients, in projects such as The Metastatic Breast Cancer Project (mbcproject.org), enables rapid identification of large numbers of patients willing to share tumors, saliva, and medical records to accelerate this research.