Breast Cancer Summit: Precision Medicine Empowers Early Detection and Treatment

The “Breast Cancer Summit” was held in Beijing on April 8, 2016. The two-day conference (April 8–9) featured in-depth discussions centered on the theme “Precision Medicine and Comprehensive Management.”

The Breast Cancer Summit was primarily divided into sections on precision medicine, new drug development, precision chemotherapy, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Each section featured presentations by multiple experts who have made significant discoveries in breast cancer research.

Professor Hu Zhiyuan from the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology delivered an academic report at the Precision Medicine session of the forum. Professor Hu first introduced the concept of “precision medicine” and then presented liquid biopsy, a revolutionary technology for tumor detection.

VCBeat has previously reported on Tumor Catcher, with the related article titled “Tumor Hunter: A Pioneer in Early Cancer Prevention and Treatment via Nanomedicine, and a Leader in China’s P4 Medicine Model》。

Liquid biopsy technology was named one of the Top 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2015 by MIT Technology Review and hailed by Forbes as one of the “Top Five Disruptive Technologies in the Future Healthcare Industry.” Professor Hu Zhiyuan stated that “Tumor Fisher” is a next-generation liquid biopsy technology. The detection method is simple and easy to perform, requiring only a 1–2 mL blood draw. It can precisely capture extremely rare tumor cells from among billions of cells in just 1 mL of blood, achieving a sensitivity of over 90%.

“Tumor Hunter” technology performs cancer screening for healthy individuals and those at high risk of cancer by drawing peripheral circulating blood, and it can effectively monitor prognosis and evaluate treatment efficacy in cancer patients. Currently available in vitro biopsy technologies on the Chinese market suffer from limitations to varying degrees, such as narrow indications, high false-positive rates, or insufficient specificity. Compared with common cancer diagnostic methods used in hospitals, such as CT, MRI, and PET-CT, the “Tumor Hunter” method of capturing circulating tumor cells using nanopeptide magnetic beads offers advantages including safety, non-invasiveness, convenience, reliability, and high sensitivity.

It is understood that breast cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in women. In China, the incidence rate of breast cancer has been rising rapidly, making it the leading cause of malignancy among women. Breast cancer is a malignant tumor arising from the glandular epithelial tissue of the breast. The female breast consists of skin, fibrous tissue, mammary glands, and adipose tissue. Ninety-nine percent of breast cancer cases occur in women, while men account for only 1%. Although the breast is not a vital organ for sustaining life, and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is not fatal, breast cancer cells lose the characteristics of normal cells, exhibiting loose intercellular connections and a tendency to detach. Once detached, these free-floating cancer cells can disseminate throughout the body via the bloodstream or lymphatic system, forming metastases that endanger life. Currently, breast cancer has become a common tumor posing a significant threat to women's physical and mental health.

In recent years, several public figures have passed away from breast cancer, including singers Yao Beina and A-Sang, as well as Chen Xiaoxu, forever remembered as “Sister Lin.” Their experiences with cancer reveal that high mortality rates are often due to delayed diagnosis or treatment, which allows the disease to progress. If detected early and treated promptly, breast cancer has a very high cure rate. Angelina Jolie, the celebrated actress, carriesBRCA1(Breast cancer susceptibility gene) mutation, with a higher risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. To reduce the risk of cancer, she proactively requested a mastectomy. After the surgery, her probability of developing breast cancer dropped from 87% to below 5%.

According to follow-up data from thousands of breast cancer patients at Beijing Cancer Hospital, the five-year survival rates for Stage I and Stage II breast cancer are 94% and 83%, respectively, while the ten-year survival rates are 87% and 67%. Early detection of breast cancer can significantly reduce mortality. Early detection and diagnosis are key to improving treatment efficacy, resulting in high five-year survival rates. In the human body, it takes 10–20 years for tumor cells to proliferate from a single cell to tens of thousands. Malignant tumor cells possess strong invasive and metastatic capabilities, enabling them to enter the circulatory system even at early stages. However, traditional imaging methods can only detect tumors at advanced stages, when they have grown larger than 10 mm. Although PET-CT can detect tumors larger than 5 mm, its significant radiation exposure makes it unsuitable for screening healthy populations. In contrast, the CTC (Circulating Tumor Cell) technology employed by “Tumor Hunter” can detect tumors at an early stage when they are only 1–5 mm in size, which holds substantial clinical significance. By enabling early detection, “Tumor Hunter” provides patients with the opportunity for early treatment, raising the five-year survival rate to over 80%.