Identifying Pathways and Factors in Breast Cancer Metastasis
Author Information
Author(s): Thomassen Mads, Tan Qihua, Kruse Torben A
Primary Institution: University of Southern Denmark
Hypothesis
Many biological pathways and transcriptional regulators are involved in metastasis of breast cancer and are reflected in gene expression patterns of primary tumors.
Conclusion
The study identifies several biological mechanisms involved in breast cancer metastasis, including key pathways and transcription factors.
Supporting Evidence
- The study analyzed gene expression data from over 1200 breast cancer patients.
- Key pathways such as cell cycle and DNA replication were found to be up-regulated in metastasizing tumors.
- Transcription factors like E2F and YY1 were identified as significant in the metastasis process.
Takeaway
This study looks at how breast cancer spreads and finds important pathways and factors that help it do so, which could lead to better treatments.
Methodology
Meta-analysis of 8 publicly available gene expression data sets using gene set enrichment analysis and GenMAPP.
Potential Biases
Confounding factors such as treatment differences and sample overlap may affect the results.
Limitations
The study may be biased due to varying outcomes in included studies and potential overlap in patient samples.
Participant Demographics
Patients included in the analysis were from various countries, with a mix of nodal statuses.
Statistical Information
P-Value
< 10E-6
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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