A new research by Cancer Research UK scientists classifies breast cancer into 10 types which might revolutionise the route to treatment forever.

Touted as the largest study of breast cancer tissue in the world involving decades of work, researchers have examined the genetic structure of 2,000 tumours. They have discovered that breast cancer can be categorized into 10 different diseases.

The scientists expect that discovery of this classification along with the discovery of new breast cancer genes, could lead to more focused treatments for women in future and also help doctors estimate patient’s survival chances better.

Detailed study of the tumours can lead to the discovery of new genes which can, in turn, spurn off new research on how gene faults can cause cancer to grow. It can also lead to the creation of new kinds of drugs to battle the different types of breast cancer.

Dr. Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said, “What this research will help us to do is make a much more accurate, much more precise, diagnosis for every patient with breast cancer in the future. That will enable us to make sure that we really target the right treatment to the right woman based on those who are going to benefit, or if they’re not going to benefit, not exposing them to the side-effects associated with those treatments. That will enable us to make much more progress in breast cancer in coming years.”

Breast cancer has been so far divided into four categories, based on whether the victims are oestrogen receptor positive or negative, and either tested as positive or negative for the HER2 protein.

Professor Carlos Caldas, senior group leader at Cancer Research UK’s Cambridge Research Institute, said, “It’s not going to change the outcome for patients treated on the NHS tomorrow. But it will change the way we do clinical trials with new avenues to develop targeted treatments.”

He further added that the new study helped scientists to understand why it is easier to diagnose breast cancer in some women affected by the disease, although he admits that more research is required. Professor Caldas also said that since the scientists now know how the tumours look at the microscopic level, they can work upon the drugs to battle the disease.

The research included data collected from hospitals in London and Nottingham and was carried out in association with the BC Cancer Agency in Vancouver, Canada. Breast cancer is currently the most common form of cancer in UK. Survival chances of women suffering from breast cancer have increased as eight out of 10 women survive for more than five years as compared to five out of 10 women in the 1970s.