Breast translational research

Breast translational research has markedly evolved over the past few decades and the emerging knowledge has revolutionized our understanding of breast neoplasms. Novel techniques and concepts in studying breast cancer have been developed. These have contributed to the understanding and recognition of this complex disease. This special topic issue on Breast Translational Research provides pertinent and succinct reviews on tumor microenvironment, metabolomics, the role of the calpain family of enzymes, the molecular mechanisms of lymphovascular invasion, and predictors of response to neoadjuvant therapy. It proposes and illustrates a new terminology for the practising pathologist who needs to describe a diagnostically challenging group of breast neoplasms showing dermal analogue differentiation. It also evaluates the role of p40 immunohistochemistry in diagnostic breast pathology. This publication is of special interest to pathologists as well as scientists and members of the breast multidisciplinary team, since it provides a useful overview of pertinent markers and techniques in the field of breast cancer translational research and diagnostic histopathology.