New Breast Cancer Screening to Make Each Treatment Decisions True
Widely regarded as the next frontier of medical advances, the promise of individual medicine becomes a reality because of advances in understanding the molecular basis of diseases such as breast cancer. Scientists are now able to develop treatments tailored to the individual's genetic profile, as well as to predict how a patient will respond to existing treatments.
Today, some women with newborn breast cancer and their doctors can make informed medical decisions about A test that predict how likely breast cancer is to spread to somewhere else in the body(Oncotype DX). This service provides a wealth of information on genetics from female genital mutilation to produce a multiplication rate between zero and 100, indicating that she is at high, medium, or low risk for her cancer to return after treatment.
This test is intended for patients with node-negative breast cancer, estrogen receptor positive that may be treated with hormone therapy. About half of the 230,000 patients diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States each year fall into this category and are often offered chemotherapy, a widely used treatment with serious side effects. Medical research shows that chemotherapy has improved patient survival rates in only 4 out of 100 patients, yet thousands of women continue to choose this expensive and toxic treatment with only limited information about how to respond.
Recent research has shown that women with high recurrence rates are more likely to benefit from chemotherapy, while women with lower scores get only a small benefit. In addition, only 25% of women fall into the high-risk group, compared to 50% in the low-risk group, indicating that this standard treatment is not appropriate for all patients.
Elizabeth Sloan of New York City is one of the many patients with breast cancer who may not be able to respond to chemotherapy. A diligent mother with two young sons, Elizabeth was considering having another child when she was found to be only 40 years old. He wanted to avoid chemotherapy, with its negative side effects, short-term and potentially long-term side effects, but he also wanted to be sure that it would not help him.
Working with her doctor, Ruth, M.D., at NYU Medical Center, Elizabeth decided to do a test and was thrilled when her Recurrence Score went below indicating that she might not benefit greatly from chemotherapy.
"No two women with breast cancer are the same. This test provides information beyond the usual measures, such as age, tumor size, and tumor distance, in determining the probability of a recurrence of the disease. This test has made Elizabeth and I add confidence and peace of mind to choosing the most appropriate treatment."
For Susan of Denver, Colorado, this provided a different kind of peace of mind. Susan's Recurrence Score showed that she was in danger of developing cancer, and she would probably benefit greatly from chemotherapy — much to the surprise of both her and her doctor.
"Based on some of my tests, my doctor said that he would not recommend chemotherapy in any other way. I was shocked when I got my result, but I was very happy because I believe this test saved my life," Susan explained.
Elizabeth Sloan is also grateful for the information she received from this test. "Not all cancers are the same, so why treat everyone the same way with something so toxic?" he said. "It's remarkable that in the end, doctors can differentiate one person's cancer from another - thank you very much."
This test is a simple test that can only be prescribed by a doctor. It is performed on some cases breast,s tissue removed during normal lumpectomy surgery, mastectomy, or biopsy, meaning no further procedure is required.
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