ECCO President Michael Baumann, MD, said that the findings on changes in receptor status throughout breast cancer progression were of major importance, “because many patients do not receive optimal treatment for their disease. The price of regular biopsies may seem high, but in the long run they may avoid inappropriate and costly treatment, and, even more importantly, may be the basis for selecting more effective treatments for an individual patient.”

According to Fabrice André, MD, Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif, France, “The study further underlines the importance of taking regular biopsies in patients who relapse so that they can be sure of getting the most appropriate treatment, and of running trials looking at the relationship between the profiles of metastatic lesions and new specifically targeted agents.” ■

Disclosure: Dr. André reported no potential conflicts of interest.