Metabolomics Biomarkers for Breast Cancer

Metabolomics represents a more recent addition to the range of omics tools, which are increasingly used in clinical applications. By measuring the composition of small molecules in tissues, blood or urine, it provides a sensitive molecular readout often associated with disease and its states, especially in cancer. Changes in metabolism related to cancer are increasingly well understood and are seen as a major hallmark of cancer. This review covers metabolomics used in human breast cancers, with a focus on its application in clinical diagnostics. There are clear indications that metabolomics could be a useful addition to currently established clinical diagnostic tools for breast cancer, including the possibility to detect cancer and to predict treatment responses and survival rates from blood and tissue samples. (C) 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel