IMPAKT 2011 conference to highlight new breast cancer studies

"The presentations at this year's IMPAKT reveal the innovative and diverse approaches that investigators are taking to identify the most encouraging new agents both before clinical evaluation and in early clinical studies. These range from ideas for novel clinical designs to the development of more sensitive and specific biomarkers and to data sharing that allows a more objective assessment of compounds prior to commitment of major clinical resources."

Mitchell Dowsett, IMPAKT 2011 Scientific Chair

The IMPAKT Press Program will feature new study results from the conference program about how better understanding of the genetic and molecular underpinning of individual women's cancers can help guide treatment:

• Largest study of its kind so far validates prognostic value of circulating tumor cells in breast cancer
• Epigenetics may help improve management for breast cancer patients
• Validating gene tests for prognosis in early-stage breast cancer
• Combining protein and gene testing methods for predicting breast cancer drug response
• New predictive marker identified in triple-negative breast cancer
• Anti-inflammatory drug: promising treatment option for breast cancer

The conference, this year in its third edition, will host 40 presentations and more than 120 abstracts, including:

• 3 keynote lectures
• 2 special educational sessions
• Best Abstract session
• Poster Walk session

Highlights on:

• Genomic data: how to make good use of mountains of data
• Clinically challenging breast cancer sub-types: identification and clinical solutions
• Her2 testing: towards a common language between pathologists and clinicians
• Pre-operative therapy: a faster route to the clinic for new therapeutics?
• Breast cancer genomes: making sense of complexity
• Pharmacogenetics: what have we learnt? Hope of hype from the clinician's point of view?
• Blood biomarkers: is there a future?
• Tumor genotyping at the front door - already a reality