Genomic test may let many breast cancer patients skip chemotherapy, trial finds
The Story
Results from an international trial suggest a genomic test can identify breast cancer patients who can safely avoid chemotherapy and its side effects. The Optima trial, led by University College London, followed more than 4,000 patients across six countries and found that those with a low score on the test could be treated with hormone therapy alone.
Key Facts
- The Optima trial involved 4,429 patients aged 40 or above with hormone-positive breast cancer in the UK, Norway, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and Thailand.
- The Prosigna test, made by Veracyte, analyses the activity of 50 genes in tumour tissue to provide a score predicting the risk of breast cancer recurrence over 10 years.
- Five years after treatment, 95% of patients with low scores who received chemotherapy and hormone therapy were alive and recurrence-free, compared to 94% of those who skipped chemotherapy.
- The trial was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), Veracyte and cancer charities.
- Some men participated, but there were too few to draw firm conclusions for that group.
Conflicting Reports
No conflicting reports identified in the source article.
Still Unclear
The article does not specify whether the test is already in routine clinical use or what its cost is.
Misconceptions
No widespread misconceptions addressed in the source article.
Key Figures
- Prof Rob Stein, chief investigator of the Optima trial and professor of breast oncology at University College London
- Prof Iain MacPherson, co-chief investigator and professor of breast oncology at the University of Glasgow
Sources: The Guardian
