health
Groundbreaking genomic test could spare millions of breast cancer patients chemotherapy
Trial suggests patients with a low test score could be treated with hormone therapy alone with near-identical outcomes
TL;DR
- A new genomic test called Prosigna can identify breast cancer patients who do not need chemotherapy.
- The Optima trial, involving over 4,000 patients, found that those with low scores on the genomic test had similar outcomes when treated with hormone therapy alone versus chemotherapy plus hormone therapy.
- Chemotherapy has severe side effects, including hair loss, nausea, infertility, and cognitive impairment.
- The test analyzes the activity of 50 genes in tumor tissue to determine the risk of cancer returning.
- This breakthrough could lead to more personalized treatment, reducing the physical and emotional burden on patients and optimizing healthcare resources.