Analyses of metabolomics and proteomics in breast cancer using tissue samples and serum of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients to develop better biochemical understanding of all phenotypes of breast cancer but with a specific interest in triple negative subphenotypes.

A study examining the biomolecular stratification of breast cancer molecular subtypes

We want to better understand the variety of conditions for which people attend the breast clinic. We will do this by looking at additional small samples of tissue that people attending the clinic will be asked to donate, alongside information about their condition.

A small proportion of people – around 1 in every 7 who attend the clinic - may be found to have a form of breast cancer. We are asking those people to also provide one additional blood sample.

A smaller group again – only around 1 in every 50 people who attend the clinic – may be found to have an uncommon type of cancer called triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). We are asking those people to also provide additional small tissue samples after they start their cancer treatment.

The research will look at all the conditions for which people attend the breast clinic, so that we can understand better how they respond to the treatments they receive, and to compare findings between these conditions.

For the group of people who have a cancer diagnosis, the researchers will be doing some additional work, analysing their tissue and blood samples to try to better understand how and why different types of cancer can vary in how they respond to treatment. Further information on this specific element of the research is provided later in this information sheet.

We will be asking approximately 800 people who attend Lanarkshire’s breast clinics to help us with this research study.