New diagnostic tests may reduce chemotherapy use. There are results from the study

Exact Sciences, a leading provider of cancer screening and diagnostic tests, today announced the publication of results from the prospective PONDx study on the impact of the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score® test on clinical decision-making. The results, consistent with previous international studies, confirm the test's value in the management of patients with early breast cancer by more accurately identifying patients who may or may not benefit from chemotherapy, thereby targeting treatment more effectively, improving therapeutic management and increasing physicians' confidence in treatment recommendations.

The study was conducted at eight reference centers nationwide and included 204 patients with early-stage hormone receptor-positive (ER+) and HER-2-negative (HER2-) breast cancer without lymph node involvement (N0). The results showed that treatment recommendations changed in 44.3% of patients based on the Recurrence Score®, and use of the test significantly influenced treatment decisions. Treatment was alleviated in 62.2% of cases (chemotherapy was waived) who were initially recommended chemotherapy, and exacerbated in 29.7% of cases who were initially recommended endocrine therapy alone (chemotherapy was added to the therapeutic regimen therapeutic regimen).

"The results of the study meant that most patients who were initially qualified for chemotherapy nevertheless avoided it and received only hormone therapy. On the other hand, some patients who were initially supposed to receive only hormone therapy received the chemotherapy they needed, as it turned out in their case. And this is all thanks to the use of this test," says Professor Renata Duchnowska, head of the Department of Oncology at the Military Medical Institute - National Research Institute.

"There is no doubt that the use of Oncotype DX in Polish practice is leading to a reduction in unnecessarily ordered chemotherapy. We are seeing a tens of percent reduction in recommendations for the use of oncology chemotherapy. And the study took place in many centers using the test and seems representative. This test also helps decision-making in the other direction. In patients whose disease biologically appears to us to be low risk, based on histopathological evaluation, the test shows a higher risk. And this is something that we still don't know about breast cancer on the basis of standard histopathology," stresses Prof. Michal Jarząb of the National Cancer Institute in Gliwice.

The Oncotype DX® test is the only multi-gene test whose ability to predict the likelihood of chemotherapy benefit, as well as the risk of early stage breast cancer recurrence, is scientifically proven. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Polish women and affects many of them during their years dedicated to working and raising a family. While chemotherapy is routinely offered, studies show that only a minority of patients with early-stage breast cancer benefit from it.

Health systems across Europe are recognizing the value of the test, which is reimbursed in many countries and included in all major international clinical guidelines. Access to genomic testing for patients with early-stage breast cancer solves the problem of overtreatment with chemotherapy, helping many patients avoid treatment side effects such as nausea, fatigue, hair loss and potentially secondary cancer. In addition, reimbursement has the potential to free up resources in the healthcare system, reducing the demand for care in oncology services.

In Poland, Exact Sciences offers the Oncotype DX® test through its local partner Komtur, and the test is currently being evaluated for reimbursement and public funding.

About the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score test

The Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score® test is designed to facilitate personalized clinical decision-making by providing information about the biology of an individual's breast cancer, with the potential to provide financial benefits to health systems. The test was first made available to patients in 2004, and has been used by more than 1.5 million patients worldwide. It is incorporated into major breast cancer treatment guidelines, including those of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and the International Breast Cancer Conference in St. Gallen, as well as the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO®) and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN®) in the United States.

To learn more about the test, visit: https://www.oncotypeiq.com/en or https://komturprocare.pl/czym-jest-test-oncotype-dx-breast-recurence-score-test-genomowy-dla-pacjentow-z-rakiem-piersi/

Source: press mat.