Molecular studies in breast cancer are in their infancy but infants mature
very quickly nowadays. The impact of new technologies on medical practice i
s already becoming evident and will transform the entire scene within a gen
eration.
The most rapidly moving part of the field at present is familial breast can
cer. Molecular data are available for only a minority of affected families
today and this is reflected in a great deal of imprecision in selection of
family members for special surveillance and in decisions about management.
Nevertheless, it is important to be systematic in setting up and auditing s
ervices for breast-cancer families so that these can evolve effectively in
parallel with developments in molecular technology. Our limited experience
of these services so far does at least suggest they are doing more good tha
n harm!