A large UK study of breast cancer patients has found that sequencing the entire genome of a tumor can reveal important information about the aggressiveness of the disease and which treatments are most likely to work. By linking whole-genome data from thousands of tumors to long-term survival records, researchers identified specific DNA changes tied to prognosis and uncovered therapeutic targets that standard tests routinely miss, potentially allowing doctors to someday choose more effective, personalized therapies while sparing patients from treatments that offer little benefit.

ARTICLE

Turnbull, Clare, Helen Davies, Peter Van Loo, Serena Nik-Zainal, and colleagues. "Clinical Potential of Whole-Genome Data Linked to Mortality Statistics in Patients with Breast Cancer in the UK: A Retrospective Analysis." The Lancet Oncology (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(25)00400-0