Studying Blood and Tumor Tissue Samples in Women With Invasive Breast Cancer, Ductal or Lobular Carcinoma in Situ, or Benign Breast Disease

OBJECTIVES:

Primary

To establish a specimen bank from peripheral blood specimens collected from women with a full spectrum of breast disease (invasive breast cancer [IBC], ductal or lobular carcinoma in situ [CIS], or benign breast disease [BBD]) with standardized clinical follow up and serial specimen collection for those with IBC.
To determine the ability of quantitative real-time reverse-transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) to discriminate between patients with IBC, CIS, and BBD by comparing baseline assay values from pre-biopsy specimens to the histologic diagnosis.
To determine the ability of qRT-PCR to predict treatment response by comparing serial assay values from patients with evaluable IBC to their objective response.
To determine the ability of qRT-PCR to predict relapse by comparing the serial assay values from all patients with IBC to their disease status.
To determine the ability of qRT-PCR to perform as an independent prognostic factor by comparing baseline assay values from all patients with IBC to their disease status, stratified by known breast cancer prognostic factors.

Secondary

To perform exploratory studies identifying potential targets for novel nucleic acid and proteomic-based early detection assays.

OUTLINE: Patients undergo baseline peripheral blood specimen collection pre-biopsy and then periodically for up to 10 years. Specimens are analyzed for circulating tumor cells via quantitative real-time reverse-transcriptase PCR, immunofluorescence, and bidirectional pyrophosphorolysis-activated polymerization allele-specific amplification; and for protein profiles via mass spectometry, liquid chromatography, enzyme digestion, and tandem mass spectometry. Patients' tumor tissue (invasive breast cancer [IBC] only) is analyzed for p53 via IHC. Medical records are reviewed periodically.

Patients with IBC complete a quality of life assessment at baseline and every 6 months for up to 10 years.