Emerging Predictive Biomarkers in Breast Cancer

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Pathology and Molecular Diagnostics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 658

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Oncohematology, Papardo Hospital, Messina, Italy
Interests: breast cancer; HER2-positive; HER2-negative; ER+; HER2-low; liquid biopsy; immunotherapy; targeted therapy; molecular biology

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Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Medical Oncology, Humanitas Istituto Clinico Catanese, Misterbianco, Catania, Italy
Interests: oncology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The treatment landscape of breast cancer has profoundly changed over the last few years with the approval of several new therapeutic options for both early-stage and advanced/metastatic disease. Much progress has been made in discerning the molecular pathology of breast cancer, leading to the identification of different molecular subtypes with distinct clinical–pathological characteristics and therapeutic vulnerabilities. Recently, new novel classes of therapeutic agents have emerged in clinical practice, including immune checkpoint inhibitors and antibody drug conjugates, but there is a lack of reliable predictive biomarkers for these agents, and in some cases, they are still used with a one-size-fits-all approach. Furthermore, the use of circulating biomarkers, namely liquid biopsy, and novel PET tracers in indications is rapidly growing, offering the possibility of further innovating the patient selection process for novel breast cancer therapies.

The aim of this Special Issue is to expand the current knowledge on the molecular, genetic and therapeutic landscape of breast cancer, with a particular focus on novel prognostic and predictive biomarkers that could have an impact on clinical practice. Experimental studies in in vitro and in vivo models, review articles, and clinical studies will be considered.

Dr. Giuseppina Rosaria Rita Ricciardi
Guest Editor

Dr. Maria Vita Sanò
Guest Editor Assistant

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Keywords

  • breast cancer
  • HER2-positive
  • TNBC
  • ER+
  • HER2-negative
  • HER2-low
  • PD-L1
  • 18F-FES PET
  • hormonotherapy
  • immunotherapy
  • immune checkpoint inhibitors
  • liquid biopsy
  • circulating tumor cells
  • ctDNA
  • antibody drug conjugates
  • PARP inhibitors
  • CDK4/6 inhibitors
  • predictive biomarkers

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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5 pages, 2300 KB  
Commentary
Could 18F-FES PET Be a New Driver in Therapeutic Choice for Metastatic HR+/HER2− Patients?
by Maria Vita Sanò, Alessandro Russo, Lorenza Marino, Sarah Pafumi, Martina Di Pietro and Giuseppina Rosaria Rita Ricciardi
Diagnostics 2025, 15(17), 2139; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15172139 - 25 Aug 2025
Viewed by 491
Abstract
Hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2−) breast cancer is the most prevalent subtype. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with 16α-18F-fluoro-17β-fluoroestradiol (18F-FES), a radiolabeled form of estradiol, enables the assessment in vivo of ER expression, ER heterogeneity in metastatic [...] Read more.
Hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2−) breast cancer is the most prevalent subtype. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with 16α-18F-fluoro-17β-fluoroestradiol (18F-FES), a radiolabeled form of estradiol, enables the assessment in vivo of ER expression, ER heterogeneity in metastatic sites and functionally active ER capable of ligand binding. This imaging modality has been recently approved as a diagnostic tool for detecting ER-positive lesions in patients with recurrent or metastatic breast cancer. Despite promising activity, the role of this powerful tool is still debated. Herein we critically analyzed current evidence supporting the use of 18F-FES PET in metastatic ER+/HER2− breast cancer, highlighting the potential challenges for clinical implementation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Predictive Biomarkers in Breast Cancer)
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