A gene expression test in blood for breast cancer

ended

The aim of BLOBREC is to develop a blood-based test for the diagnosis of breast cancer. The test is based on results from gene expression analyses in a hospital based nested case-control study in the Norwegian Women and Cancer postgenome cohort study. The controls are healthy population controls from the same cohort. The innovative potential of a gene expression test is the independency from other test for breast cancer like imaging technologies (mammograms, ultrasound, MR) and pathological diagnosis. As such it could be used by itself or in combination with these other technologies. The idea has been considered by the International Search Authorities to be novel and inventive and thus, considered to be patentable. Further analyses should be run to improve the predictive values of the test together with an external validation. The scenarios of use will be discussed. Based on this work comprehensive documentation should be available for commercial partners. Through collaboration with a technology transfer institution the potential approaches to commercial companies should be explored before any negociations. The idea could have important social and clinical implications through improved diagnosis of breast cancer given the increasing incidence of this disease in many countries worldwide.