Molecular predictors of local tumor control in early-stage breast cancer

Advances in surgery, radiation therapy, and systemic therapy have resulted in substantial improvements in local and distant tumor control in early-stage breast cancer, which in turn have improved breast cancer-specific and overall mortality. Although outcomes after breast-conserving therapy may be estimated using clinical and pathologic risk factors, more robust predictors of local tumor recurrence are necessary. Recent molecular profiling studies have shown that the risk of local and distant recurrence varies across different molecular subtypes of breast cancer. In addition, several molecular assays have emerged as promising prognostic and predictive markers of local and distant recurrence. The ability to use such molecular markers may allow for better tailoring of therapy and further reduction of recurrence rates and mortality in breast cancer. This is a rapidly evolving field, and prospective validation studies as well as the identification of new markers are needed.