21-Gene Assay Associated with Significant Change in Treatment Decisions

the Cancer Therapy Advisor take:

Physicians were more likely to change treatment decisions after evaluating patients using the 21-gene Oncotype DX Assay, according to an article published online in the journal The Oncologist.

Ninety-five patients with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative early-stage breast cancer (ECB), and node-negative (pN0) disease or micrometastases in up to three lymph nodes (pN1mi) were evaluated regarding their cancer treatments.

Results showed that treatment regimen recommendations changed in 37% of patients, primarily from chemoendocrine to strictly endocrine treatment. The proportion of patients recommended to undergo chemotherapy treatment was also found to decrease from pretest to post-test (52% to 25%, respectively).

After receiving the Oncotype Recurrence Score result, 61% of patients who were originally recommended chemotherapy treatment were newly advised to receive endocrine treatment alone.

Furthermore, physicians’ confidence significantly improved after receiving the Recurrence Score value.

The authors noted that Oncotype DX testing is associated with an overall reduction in chemotherapy use as treatment in patients with ER+, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative EBC, which was consistent with previous studies.