Scientists draw genetic breast cancer ‘map’

The research is expected to lead to more accurate diagnoses and effective treatments.

Scientists described nine new genes that drive the development of breast cancer, bringing the known total to 40.

Breast cancer was shown to be not so much a single disease as a diverse range of cancer “species”.

Most individual cancers had different combinations of mutated cancer genes.

The research, conducted by a large international team of British-led experts, involved analysing DNA from 100 tumour samples.

Scientists hope their findings will ultimately lead to better treatments, tailored to the genetic make-up of individual patients.