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Review
. 2021 Jul;28(4):777-791.
doi: 10.1007/s12282-021-01237-w. Epub 2021 Mar 15.

Understanding breast cancer heterogeneity through non-genetic heterogeneity

Neda Barzgar Barough  1   2 , Fakhrosadat Sajjadian  1   3 , Nazila Jalilzadeh  1   4 , Hajar Shafaei  2 , Kobra Velaei  5   6
Affiliations
Review

Understanding breast cancer heterogeneity through non-genetic heterogeneity

Neda Barzgar Barough et al. Breast Cancer. 2021 Jul.

Abstract

Intricacy in treatment and diagnosis of breast cancer has been an obstacle due to genotype and phenotype heterogeneity. Understanding of non-genetic heterogeneity mechanisms along with considering role of genetic heterogeneity may fill the gaps in landscape painting of heterogeneity. The main factors contribute to non-genetic heterogeneity including: transcriptional pulsing/bursting or discontinuous transcriptions, stochastic partitioning of components at cell division and various signal transduction from tumor ecosystem. Throughout this review, we desired to provide a conceptual framework focused on non-genetic heterogeneity, which has been intended to offer insight into prediction, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

Keywords: Breast cancer; Heterogeneity; Non-genetic heterogeneity; Phenotype; Tumor microenvironment.

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