Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among females worldwide, a pattern that remains true in Saudi Arabia where one million cases are newly diagnosed each year, making it one of the main cause of morbidity and mortality among females. There is a dearth of literature on various aspects of breast cancer in Saudi Arabia as most of the studies are done on western population. In this study we will investigate in detail various clinicopathological parameters along with the molecular and genetic alterations occurring in various signaling pathways and their possible relationships, with special emphasis on PI3K/AKT pathway and hereditary breast cancers. The main Aims of the present study will be:

1. Evaluation of hormone receptor status of Saudi breast cancers with emphasis on molecular classification and their prognostic significance.

2. Molecular alterations of PI3K/AKT pathway and their potential cross-talks with other molecular pathways including PI3KCA amplification and mutational status.

3. Evaluation of hereditary breast cancer with special emphasis on BRCA mutational status in Saudi population and their prognostic implications.

This project will provide better understanding of molecular alterations in Saudi breast carcinogenesis and will have important clinical implications, as it could result in development of new therapeutic molecular targets for treatment of Saudi Arabian breast cancers and relatively untreatable subtypes. BRCA analysis will define high risk individuals and may lead to development of effective screening programs for early detection in our ethnic population.