Breast cancer without chemotherapy
The results of a clinical study using the MammaPrint genetic test indicate that almost half of women with breast cancer do not need chemotherapy prescribed to them based on the results of a standard clinical examination.
Traditionally, when prescribing chemotherapy for the treatment of breast cancer, doctors relied on the results of measuring the tumor, examining its cells under a microscope and genetic testing evaluating the susceptibility of the tumor to hormone therapy.
The new MammaPrint genetic test allows you to look deeper into the tumor by analyzing 70 genes responsible for its aggressiveness and the likelihood of recurrence after chemotherapy. In 2007, MammaPrint received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and soon appeared on the U.S. market, but many oncologists were in no hurry to include it in their practice, as they were waiting for the results of clinical trials.
The long-awaited study involved almost 6,700 women who were treated in 111 medical centers in 9 countries. The patients were divided into four groups depending on whether they were recommended chemotherapy based on the results of a traditional clinical examination or a MammaPrint test.
For more than 3,300 study participants who, according to the results of traditional criteria, were recognized as being at high risk of relapse, MammaPrint reduced the frequency of chemotherapy prescribing by almost half – by 46%.
In addition, for more than 2,700 participants with low MammaPrint scores and high clinical risk, the 5-year survival rate after tumor removal without subsequent chemotherapy was 94.7%.
Experts note that this indicator is very high and does not differ from the survival rate for women who have undergone chemotherapy. Therefore, the timely selection of women who do not need chemotherapy will not only protect them from serious side effects of aggressive treatment, but also save a fairly large amount of money.
They also emphasize that MammaPrint can be a salvation for young women with breast cancer who are currently undergoing mandatory chemotherapy, which often has a detrimental effect on their fertility.
The results of the work were presented in the form of a presentation by Martine Piccartet al. Primary analysis of the EORTC 10041/BIG 3-04 MINDACT study: a prospective, randomized study evaluating the clinical utility of the 70-gene signature (MammaPrint) combined with common clinical-pathological criteria for selection of patients for adjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer with 0 to 3 positive nodes, on Monday, April 18, presented at held in New Orleans at the annual convention of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru
22.04.2016