The role of gene expression profiling by microarray analysis for prognostic classification of breast cancer

Prognostic and predictive factors play important roles in the treatment of breast cancer. Genome-wide monitoring of gene expression using DNA microarrays makes it possible to study thousands of genes in a tumour sample in a single experiment. By looking for an association between the gene expression pattern and tumour behaviour, it should be possible to identify new prognostic and predictive factors.