The Role of Genomics in Breast Cancer and How
it Differs from Genetic Testing
Genomics — the study of complex sets of genes, how they are expressed, and the role they play in human biology — can help give doctors individualized information about a disease.
What is the difference between genomic and genetic testing?
These terms are often confused and their definitions may vary depending on the context in which they are used. For these purposes it is useful to describe genetics as:
- The study of inherited traits or features that can be quantified by DNA analysis of individuals. The process for analyzing the DNA sequences is called genotyping, which is the basis for BRCA-1 testing that is performed on otherwise healthy women to assess their genetic pre-disposition for developing breast cancer later in life. This kind of testing can be done on samples from blood or healthy tissue
While on the other hand, for these purposes, genomics is:
- The study of gene expression within cells for purposes of understanding disease variation. For example, researchers can now analyze cancer at the molecular level to determine genes expressed by an individual cancer patient's tumor to define various disease sub-types and probable outcomes. This kind of testing is done with tissue from the tumor itself, rather than with normal healthy tissue
Click here to learn more about Oncotype DX®, the first genomic test for use in breast cancer.
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