Advancing Liquid Biopsy Testing: Harnessing Epigenetics for Early Detection of Residual and Recurrent Breast Cancer
Background
Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women in Australia, and the second most common cause of cancer-related death in women. While most breast cancer patients are successfully treated through their first line of treatment, up to 30% of patients relapse and the cancer returns.
In these circumstances, detecting the relapse early allows clinicians to tailor their treatment strategy and improve outcomes.
About the project
Associate Professor Clare Stirzaker and her team are developing an accurate and sensitive test that can detect breast cancer in blood, also known as a liquid biopsy. This non-invasive approach to the monitoring of breast cancer should enable earlier detection of relapse in breast cancer patients.
Impact
If successful, this improved breast cancer detection test can be implemented into clinical laboratories worldwide to allow monitoring and long-term surveillance of all people with breast cancer. This could ultimately enable better outcomes in the 20,000 people diagnosed with breast cancer every year in Australia.