Breast cancer: multi-gene test allows targeted use of chemotherapy regimens
Multi-gene test helps chemo treatments for breast cancer more effectively
In the breast cancer treatment can be Multi-genetic testing be used to determine how high the risk of metastasis. German scientists, according to this Test helps chemotherapy treatments more effectively and thus to improve the chances of cure.
Most common cancer in women
Breast cancer is the most common malignant Tumor in women. In Germany alone, each year, counted up to 70,000 new cases. Many patients must undergo chemotherapy with debilitating side effects. But it is a long standing of experts noted that this is the case of breast cancer is always useful. In the past year, it was reported on new genetic tests, the unnecessary chemo treatments for breast to make it unnecessary to cancer. Some genetic tests may also enable the targeted use of chemotherapy regimens in breast cancer, as scientists from Munich.
Multi-gene tests in breast cancer therapy
For some years, in the women’s clinic at the Klinikum rechts der Isar in patients with a certain cancer of the breast-a variant of the hormone receptor – positive, HER2-negative breast cancer-a so – called multi-gene test.
According to a communication from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), with this on the basis of tissue samples and other clinical characteristics, a statement about how high is the risk for the patient is that, in the future, form metastases.
A Team from the breast center, Klinikum rechts der Isar of the TUM has now presented results from the clinical Routine.
According to these, the hospital employed Multi helps genetic testing in fact, chemotherapies more effectively and to improve the chances of cure.
Chemotherapy may be an unnecessary heavy burden
“On the basis of the test result, in addition to molecular biological tumor properties that also includes the individual factors of tumor size and lymph node involvement with, decide Doctors, whether in addition to surgical removal of the tumor and the subsequent anti-hormonal treatment, chemotherapy is useful,” explains Prof., Marion Kiechle, Director of the women’s clinic.
“In the case of a low risk of metastasis, chemotherapy may be an unnecessary heavy burden, with a high risk therapy can prevent new tumors from arising.”
Dr. John Ettl, senior physician at the interdisciplinary breast center of the woman’s clinic, presented the results of the independent, not from a Test manufacturer, prior to officer supply study in the breast center and the Test, at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in the USA, one of the world’s most important congresses for breast cancer.
The subject of the investigation, the EndoPredict Test, one of the four in Germany, the most commonly used Multi-gene tests in breast cancer.
At the time of its introduction in 2011, he was the first Test that took into account both gene signatures and classical clinical parameters such as tumor size and the infestation of the lymph nodes.
Tests to help with more targeted use of chemotherapy regimens
For the study, researchers analyzed how breast cancer is a disease of the 373 patients in the years passed after the start of the first treatment and the associated Test actually.
The Test had shown for 238 patients (63.8 per cent), a low-risk, 135 (36.2%) high risk.
It showed that after a median observation period of 3.5 years for patients in the “high risk group” in comparison to “low risk group”, in practice, the likelihood was twice as high that of the breast occurred cancer, and even five times as high, that metastases have formed in other organs.
Among the low risk patients and high-risk patients, in addition to the anti-hormone tablet with chemotherapy, lived, after three years, 96.6 percent (low-risk group) and 96.3 percent (high-risk, and chemotherapy) without breast cancer.
In patients with high-risk, which, in spite of the test-based recommendation of Doctors, no chemotherapy was used, it was only 91.5 percent.
“Our observational study provides for the first time, data from the clinical Routine care, show that the Test is actually important reference can provide points for the decision for or against chemotherapy,” said Prof. Marion Kiechle.
“Gensignatur tests are important tools that help us, chemotherapies more effectively and to avoid unnecessary use of these highly stressful treatments as well as a potentially serious waiver of a chemotherapy with a high risk of metastasis.” (ad)
