mRNA profiling of pre- and postoperative breast tumors

Gene expression studies on breast cancer have generally been performed on tissue obtained at the time of surgery. Overexpression of several genes may be a result of surgical trauma or preoperative manipulation, and may not reflect any biological impact of the disease. This study compares the expression profiles in preoperative tissue while tumor is still in its normal milieu to postoperative tissue from the same tumor obtained during surgery.