Researchers at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center have taken a major step forward in melding two key methods for studying breast cancer: one by genetic analysis and the second by looking at the architecture of cells, or their pathology. The investigators were able to link the two thanks to a decade-long effort made possible by the federally funded resource of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Breast Cancer Data set. The scientists found much agreement between genetic and pathologic classifications but developed a novel way to use data from both systems to arrive at a classification method that divides breast cancers into 12 distinct biological groups.