Nightly News   |  September 24, 2012

More drugs could cure breast cancer

New research provides evidence that breast cancer is not just one disease but perhaps four, with many subtypes. Researchers are examining whether other cancer drugs could also target breast cancer. NBC’s Robert Bazell reports.

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>>> is health news getting some attention this evening, about breast cancer . and what is being called a new road map for understanding this disease. and coming up with more targeted treatments. more on this story with our chief correspondent robert bazell .

>> reporter: scientists know there are several biological path ways that lead to breast cancer . but the roadmap had gaps. this latest research fills in many of them. opening up the possibility of entirely new personalized treatments.

>> this is really a giant step towards understanding the fundamentals of what breast cancer is, so that we can develop new, effective therapies, one patient at a time.

>> reporter: the research is part of a giant program, to analyze the thousands of changes in dna cells that lead to all sorts of cancer. and it provides the evidence that breast cancer is not one disease, but four major types and many sub-types. this means that many drugs on the market to treatment leukemia leukemia, melanoma, and other cancers, say that patients need to know that while results are exciting, clinical trials are still needed. likely years ago.

>> this is not something we can all take action on tomorrow in the clinic, but it is now we'll put together our next round of therapies and how we're going to move forward to change this disease.

>> reporter: with this wealth of new knowledge, scientists are moving towards the day when they will have treatments taylored towards every type of cancer, to fix the program, to learn what is broken. robert bazell .