Understanding Breast Cancer Through Multi-omics and Gender-specific Analyses

Breast cancer is a deeply studied malignancy globally, yet the majority of the research is predominantly concentrated on female breast cancer. Male breast cancer (MBC), though relatively rare, presents as a biologically and clinically distinct condition compared to its female counterpart. Recent advances in multi-omics approaches—including genomics, transcriptomics, and epigenomics—have significantly enhanced the exploration of the complex molecular landscape of breast cancers. These methodologies present an extraordinary chance to examine sex-specific biological variations that may impact cancer risk, progression, and therapeutic response. Nonetheless, significant knowledge gaps remain concerning the molecular differences between male and female breast cancer which, when filled, could pave the way for refined and personalized treatment strategies.

This Research Topic aims to aggregate original research articles that present innovative data associated with multi-omics approaches, especially through genomic and transcriptomic analyses, in order to delve into the gender-specific biology of breast cancer. By doing so, we hope to highlight advanced genetic studies, pioneering methods, and personalized therapeutic strategies in breast cancer that accentuate the molecular features, pathways, and biomarkers differentiating male from female breast tumors.

With the purpose of enriching understanding in this domain, the scope limits itself to investigations that explicitly contrast male and female breast cancer. We welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- Application of NGS approaches to differentiate female and male breast cancer.
- Comparative genomic and transcriptomic profiling between male and female breast cancer.
- Identification of molecular subtypes based on sex-specific genetic and gene expression patterns.
- Integration of multi-omics data to uncover signaling pathways differentially regulated by sex.
- Analysis of publicly available datasets (e.g., TCGA, METABRIC) analysis stratified by gender.
- Clinical or translational studies that incorporate omics findings into sex-specific outcomes.
- Investigations into gender-based differences in treatment response or resistance mechanisms by gender.
- Epigenomic analyses to investigate sex-specific regulatory mechanisms in breast cancer.


Please note: Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics, computational analysis, or predictions of public databases that are not accompanied by validation (independent clinical or patient cohort, or biological validation in vitro or in vivo, which are not based on public databases) are not suitable for publication in this Research Topic.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Breast cancer, NGS, genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, male breast cancer, gender differences, personalized treatment strategies

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.