ER+/HER2+ Breast Cancer Specimens
Bay Biosciences provides high quality, clinical grade bio-samples, cryogenically preserved breast cancer tumor tissue samples,serum (sera), plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) biofluid specimens from patients diagnosed with ER+/HER2+ (Luminal A) breast cancer.
Researchers recognize breast cancer as the most frequently diagnosed malignancy in women. This accounts for approximately 25% of cancer diagnoses and 15% of cancer-related deaths in women.
Furthermore, we process the PBMC, serum (sera), and plasma samples from whole blood using customized processing protocols.
Breast Cancer Molecular Types
Additionally, researchers define the molecular subset of breast cancer by its ability to respond to the female hormone, estrogen.
Consequently, genomic research leads to more detailed ways to classify breast cancer based on their genes and proteins. Moreover, dividing them into four main molecular subtypes: HER2, luminal A, luminal B, and triple-negative.
Moreover, some breast cancers respond to the body’s naturally occurring female hormones, estrogen and progesterone. Specifically, the breast cancer cells have receptors on the outside of their walls that catch hormones circulating through the body.
Ultimately, knowing the type of breast cancer which is sensitive to hormones gives a better idea of how to treat the cancer.
HER2-positive
Researchers identify one in five invasive breast cancers as human epidermal growth-factor receptor 2 or HER2-positive. Consequently, making this one of the more common breast cancer in the United States.
Furthermore, they classify HER2-positive cancers as ER-negative and PR-negative and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2+) positive.
Moreover, doctors note that symptoms of HER2-positive breast cancer resemble those of other breast cancer types. Specifically, they include a lump in the breast, changes to the breast’s shape, pain, swelling, and abnormal discharge.
Depending on the cancer’s stage, medical professionals may offer treatment options for HER2-positive breast cancer that include, for instance, a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and targeted therapies such as the immune monoclonal antibody, trastuzumab (Herceptin).
Luminal A
In addition, Luminal A represents the most common subtype for every race and age. Notably, these tumors tend to express estrogen receptor (ER+) positive and progesterone receptor (PR+) positive characteristics and typically grow slowly. Consequently, doctors typically administer hormonal therapy as treatment.
Luminal B
On the other hand, Luminal B describes tumors that express estrogen receptor positive, progesterone receptor negative, and HER2+ positive traits. In contrast, these tumors tend to grow more quickly than luminal A tumors.
Therefore, Luminal B breast cancers are likely to benefit from chemotherapy and may also benefit from hormone therapy and treatments that target the HER2 receptor.
Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC)
Triple-negative breast cancer is a type of cancer that occurs when the cells lack receptors for estrogen (ER-), progesterone (PR-), or HER2-. Consequently, this type of breast cancer usually invades surrounding tissues and typically begins in the breast ducts.
In contrast, healthy breast cells have receptors for the hormones estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR). Additionally, they also have receptors for a protein called HER2, which stimulates normal cell growth. Notably, about two out of three women with breast cancer have cells that possess receptors for estrogen and progesterone, and about 20 percent to 30 percent of breast cancers exhibit an excess of HER2 receptors.
Therefore, doctors can treat breast cancer that is estrogen receptor (ER+) and progesterone receptor (PR+) positive with hormonal therapy. Furthermore, physicians can treat breast cancer with excess amounts of HER2 using anti-HER2 targeted therapy drugs such as trastuzumab.
However, in women with triple-negative breast cancer, malignant cells lack receptors for estrogen, progesterone, or HER2. As a result, doctors cannot treat breast cancer that is ER-, PR-, and HER2-negative with hormonal therapy or medications that block HER2, such as trastuzumab.
Hormone status of breast cancers includes:
- First, estrogen receptor (ER) positive: Cells of this type of breast cancer have receptors that allow them to use the hormone estrogen to grow. Consequently, anti-estrogen hormone (endocrine) therapy blocks the growth of the cancer cells.
- In addition, progesterone receptor (PR) positive: This type of breast cancer is sensitive to progesterone, and the cells have receptors that allow them to use this hormone to grow. Therefore, endocrine therapy blocks the growth of the cancer cells.
- On the other hand, hormone receptor (HR) negative: This type of cancer doesn’t have hormone receptors, so it won’t be affected by endocrine treatments aimed at blocking hormones in the body.
Furthermore, researchers understand how the individual DNA changes within cancer cells might determine better treatment options. By analyzing the genes of cancer cells, researchers hope to find ways to target specific aspects of the cancer cells to kill them.
For instance, a laboratory may test a sample of tumor tissue from a biopsy procedure to look for:
- Specifically, the HER2 gene – cancer cells that have too many copies of the HER2 gene (HER2-positive cancers) produce too much of the growth-promoting protein HER2. As a result, targeted therapy drugs can shut down the HER2 protein, slowing growth and killing cancer cells.
- In addition, researchers study ways to interpret the genetic makeup of tumor cells. Furthermore, doctors hope to use this information to predict which cancers will spread and which may need aggressive treatments. Consequently, that way, women with relatively low-risk breast cancers may avoid aggressive treatments.
Doctors increasingly use genetic information about breast cancer cells to categorize breast cancers. Consequently, these groups help guide decisions about which treatments are best.
Breast cancer groups include:
Firstly, Group 1 (A) – This group includes tumors that are ER positive and PR positive, but negative for HER2. As a result, Luminal A breast cancers likely benefit from hormonal therapy and may also benefit from chemotherapy.
Secondly, Group 2 (B) – This type includes tumors that are ER positive, PR negative, and HER2 positive. In contrast, Luminal B breast cancers likely benefit from chemotherapy and may benefit from hormonal therapy and treatment targeted to HER2.
Thirdly, Group 3 (HER2 positive) – This type includes tumors that are ER negative and PR negative, but HER2 positive. Therefore, chemotherapy and treatment targeted to HER2 are likely to benefit HER2 breast cancers.
Finally, Group 4 (Basal-Like) – This type, also called triple-negative breast cancer, includes tumors that are ER negative, PR negative, and HER2 negative. Thus, chemotherapy is likely to benefit basal-like breast cancers.
Ultimately, understanding more about the chemical and genetic makeup of cancer may help doctors choose the most effective treatment for specific cancer.
Biospecimens
Bay Biosciences is, indeed a global leader in providing researchers with high quality, clinical grade, fully characterized human tissue samples, bio-specimens, and human bio-fluid collections.
Specifically, aamples available include cancer (tumor) tissue, cancer serum, cancer plasma, cancer, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). and human tissue samples from most other therapeutic areas and diseases.
Moreover, Bay Biosciences maintains and manages its own biorepository, the human tissue bank (biobank) consisting of thousands of diseased samples (specimens) and from normal healthy donors available in all formats and types.
In fact, our biobank procures and stores fully consented, de-identified and institutional review boards (IRB) approved human tissue samples and matched controls.
Additionally, all our human tissue collections, human specimens and human bio-fluids are provided with detailed, samples associated patient’s clinical data.
In particular, critical patient’s clinical data includes information relating to their past and current disease, treatment history, lifestyle choices, biomarkers, and genetic information.
Moreover, patient’s data is extremely valuable for researchers and is used to help identify new effective treatments (drug discovery & development) in oncology, and other therapeutic areas and diseases.
Specifically, Bay Biosciences banks wide variety of human tissue samples and biological samples, including cryogenically preserved at – 80°C.
For example fresh frozen tissue samples, tumor tissue samples, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE), tissue slides, with matching human bio-fluids, whole blood and blood-derived products such as serum, plasma and PBMC.
Furthermore, Bay Biosciences is a global leader in collecting and providing human tissue samples according to the specified requirements and customized, tailor-made collection protocols.
Therefore, please contact us anytime to discuss your special research projects and customized human tissue sample requirements.
Types of Biospecimens
Bay Biosciences provides human tissue samples (human specimens) from diseased and normal healthy donors which includes:
- Peripheral whole-blood
- Amniotic fluid
- Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL)
- Sputum
- Pleural effusion
- Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
- Serum (sera)
- Plasma
- Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC)
- Saliva
- Buffy coat
- Urine
- Stool samples
- Aqueous humor
- Vitreous humor
- Kidney stones (renal calculi)
- Other bodily fluids from most diseases including cancer.
Customized Collections
Moreover, we can also procure most human bio-specimens, furthermore; we offer special collections and requests for human samples that are difficult to find. All our human tissue samples are procured through IRB-approved clinical protocols and procedures.
In addition to the standard processing protocols, Bay Biosciences can also provide human plasma, serum, and PBMC bio-fluid samples using custom processing protocols. Additionally you buy donor-specific collections in higher volumes and specified sample aliquots from us.
Furthermore, Bay Biosciences also provides human samples from normal healthy donors; volunteers, for controls and clinical research, contact us Now.
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