Nanomechanical profiling of breast cancer molecular subtypes

A method for classifying a tissue sample obtained from a mammary tumour, said method comprising

• determining a stiffness value for each of a plurality of points on said tissue sample using a device for determining stiffness values, resulting in a stiffness distribution, and
• assigning said sample to a breast cancer molecular subtype based on said stiffness distribution, wherein said breast cancer molecular subtype is selected from
• luminal A subtype non-metastasized breast cancer,
• luminal B subtype non-metastasized breast cancer,
• luminal A subtype metastasized breast cancer,
• luminal B subtype metastasized breast cancer,
• luminal B like Her2+ subtype metastasized breast cancer,
• basal subtype non-metastasized breast cancer, and
• basal subtype metastasized breast cancer,
• wherein
• a high probability of being a luminal A subtype non-metastasized breast cancer or a luminal B subtype non-metastasized breast cancer is assigned to a sample exhibiting only one frequency maximum between 0.4 kPa and 0.7 kPa in the region below 1 kPa and frequencies in the region between 1.0 kPa and 1.5 kPa, wherein said frequencies are above a threshold, and wherein said threshold equates to the half-maximal frequency of said one frequency maximum between 0.4 kPa and 0.7 kPa,
• a high probability of being a luminal A subtype metastasized breast cancer is assigned to a sample exhibiting two frequency maxima below 1 kPa and a frequency maximum above 2 kPa,
• a high probability of being a luminal B subtype metastasized breast cancer is assigned to a sample exhibiting a frequency maximum below 0.25 kPa, a high probability of being a luminal B Her2+ like subtype metastasized breast cancer is assigned to a sample exhibiting a frequency maximum between 0.25 kPa and 0.4 kPa and a frequency maximum between 1.7 kPa and 2.0 kPa,
• a high probability of being a basal subtype non-metastasized breast cancer is assigned to a sample exhibiting only one frequency maxima between 0.5 kPa and 0.7 kPa in the region below 1 kPa and frequencies in the region between 1.0 kPa and 1.5 kPa, wherein said frequencies are below a threshold, and wherein said threshold equates to the half-maximal frequency of said one frequency maximum between 0.5 kPa and 0.7 kPa,
• a high probability of being a basal subtype metastasized breast cancer is assigned to a sample exhibiting two frequency maxima below 1 kPa and that is further characterized by the absence of further frequency maxima above 1.3 kPa, and/or a high probability of being a luminal B subtype metastasized breast cancer is assigned to a sample exhibiting two frequency maxima below 1 kPa and a frequency maximum between 1.4 kPa and 2.0 kPa.