Optimisation of a multiplex RNA-based expression assay to molecular classify breast cancer patients

Abstract

The invention provides improved methods for the sub-classification cancers into therapeutically relevant subpopulations through the use of branded DNA technology (bDNA). Methods and Field of the invention: The invention relates to the treatment, detection and classification of cancer, including the identification of heterogeneous tumours and in particular relates to breast cancer. It also relates to identifying patients who are likely to respond to cancer therapy with a PP2A activator. The invention defines the use of biomarkers (ERBB2, ESR1 , PGR, AURKA, KIF2C and FOXC1 expression) and the need of the novel biomarkers AURKA and KIF2C to classify breast cancer patients as Basal or Luminal. In addition, a method is described to further classify Luminal cases into good (Luminal A-like) or bad (Luminal B-like) prognoses. The invention also relates to methods useful in predicting if a sample comprises a gene amplification or gene reduction, or high or low gene expression.