by Nora Bui and Devan Stoeling

Introduction/Abstract

A biomarker is a measurable characteristic or substance that can indicate the presence or progression of a disease, condition, or biological process. Biomarkers can be found in various types of biological samples, such as blood, urine, tissue, or saliva. They can be used for diagnosis, prognosis, prediction of treatment response, and monitoring of disease progression or recurrence. Some common examples of biomarkers include proteins, genes, metabolites, and imaging markers. Biomarkers play a crucial role in the development of new therapies, as they can help researchers better understand the underlying mechanisms of disease and evaluate the effectiveness of potential treatments. For effective treatment of breast cancer, it is important that the diagnosis is established at an early stage by doing early screening for women who are at high risk. To contribute to our breast cancer biomarker research we focus on estrogen receptors. Estrogen receptors are important in breast cancer research because they play a key role in the development, growth, and progression of most breast cancers. The majority of breast cancers (about 70%) are estrogen receptor-positive (ER+), meaning that the cancer cells have receptors on their surface that bind to estrogen and promote their growth. In these types of breast cancer, estrogen stimulates the cancer cells to grow and divide, leading to the development and spread of tumors.

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