Oncotype DX is a laboratory test developed by Genomic Health, Inc., that has been used to predict the likelihood of chemotherapy benefit and recurrence risk in ER-positive, HER2-negative early stage invasive breast cancer. A report from the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium held in December indicates that the test can also predict the likelihood of local recurrence for patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).
This study indicated that the test is able to identify women with DCIS who are at low risk for recurrent disease, ie, patients who may be able to avoid radiation therapy after surgery, and those at higher risk, who may require radiation therapy. This means that those who require more treatment would be the ones to receive it, while those with a less aggressive form of DCIS would be able to avoid the side effects sometimes associated with radiation therapy.
DCIS has historically represented a challenge for physicians, who have used a wide spectrum of treatment options from breast conserving surgery with or without radiation to mastectomy. Lumpectomy has become the current standard, following a trend in breast cancer surgery to not “overtreat” patients who may have a less aggressive form of the disease.
More information on this study can be found here.Tags: medical