Figure 5. Cell‐based assays show aberrant cell adhesion in normal breast epithelial cells for women with a high risk of breast cancer.

1. A cell adhesion assay was used to compare extracellular matrix adhesiveness in normal, primary breast cells in women who did or did not have a family history of breast cancer. Cells from women who had a family history of breast cancer were significantly less adherent than cells from women who did not have a family history of breast cancer.
2. A drug‐response assay was used to evaluate responsiveness to PF573228, a FAK inhibitor in μm concentrations. Normal, breast epithelial cells were obtained from high‐risk women who had undergone prophylactic surgery and compared against cells from women who had undergone non‐risk‐related, breast reduction surgery. The prophylactic samples were significantly more sensitive to PF573228 than breast reduction samples. Response values indicate the drug concentration that induces a response that reaches half of its maximal effect.

Data information: The boxes represent the the interquartile range of the respective values. The whiskers extend the the most extreme data points.