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Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score®, the genetic testing tool for the battle against early breast cancer
The recent results of TAILORx, the largest gene study ever conducted on breast cancer with over 10,000 patients, showed that over 70% of women with early invasive breast cancer do not benefit from chemotherapy. Breast cancer is known to be the most common type of cancer in women today with more than 1,600,000 cases per year worldwide and more than 6,000 annual cases in our country, numbers that strongly highlight the social impact of the disease.
Despite the widespread severity of the problem, breast cancer is a cancer with a very positive prognosis if diagnosed at an early stage. Breast cancer mortality has decreased significantly in recent years and the main reason is the modern mapping of the unique gene profile of each cancer patient, marking a new era of personalised treatment for each individual patient.
The Oncotype DX analysis for breast cancer is the only certified test that provides information – both on the risk of recurrence (metastases) and on whether or not the patient will benefit from chemotherapy – according to the most important international guidelines. The Oncotype DX test is the most widely used multigene test for early invasive breast cancer for patients with positive estrogen receptor ER and negative HER-2 and counts approximately 1,000,000 patients who have successfully undergone the test.
By analysing the expression levels of 21 genes closely linked to breast cancer in each patient sample, the Recurrence Score (RS), which ranges from 0-100, is obtained.
From the result of the analysis, treating physicians and patients receive valid information about the likelihood of distant disease recurrence (metastasis), but also about the potential benefit of chemotherapy for the patient.
This in itself is extremely important because doctors now have all the necessary information and evidence to group patients according to their unique gene characteristics and give them the appropriate personalised treatments, leaving behind the era of “One for All” treatments (same pattern of cytotoxic treatments for all patient groups).
The Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score® measured 2,000 Greek women with breast cancer who successfully underwent the analysis and the results were their main tool for making the appropriate personalised treatment decision.
The Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score® analysis is performed in Redwood, USA by Genomic Health, Inc. and is distributed exclusively in the Greek market by Genekor Iatric SA, while it is also covered by EOPYY with a 15% participation rate by patients according to the latest revised ministerial decision (September 2018).
Genekor Medical SA.