Molecular characterization of breast cancer and multiple primary malignancies: the latest application using unmarked quantitative proteomics.

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer remains the most prevalent malignancy among women, and patients presenting with both breast and lung cancer pose significant challenges in clinical diagnosis and treatment. Currently, comprehensive multi-omics analyses for such multiple malignancies are lacking.

METHODS

An integrated multi-omics analysis was performed, incorporating quantitative proteomics and radiomics data from patients with single primary breast cancer as well as those with multiple primary tumors (breast and lung cancer).

RESULTS

Quantitative proteomics analysis revealed four distinct molecular signatures (Types I-IV). Patients with single breast cancer exhibited driving pathways primarily linked to cell proliferation (e.g., HER2), whereas those with multiple breast cancers showed enrichment in ER-related and proliferative pathways. In contrast, patients with multiple lung cancers displayed pathways associated with immune response and immune escape. Additionally, immune subtyping identified three distinct immune landscapes (Types I-III). Radiomic analysis demonstrated strong correlations between these molecular/immune subtypes and imaging findings. Patients with high imaging information scores exhibited pronounced tumor heterogeneity and reduced immune infiltration.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides new insights into the molecular pathogenesis of multiple primary malignancies, particularly breast and lung cancer.