Should women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer have chemotherapy? To help make that choice, some physicians recommend gene-expression profiling (GEP) tests to identify patients who may benefit from the treatment. Carrying the brand name Oncotype DX, this test analyzes the patterns of 21 different genes within the cancer cells to help predict how likely it is that a women’s cancer will recur within 10 years after initial treatment and how beneficial chemotherapy will be to her.
Researchers interviewed 14 oncologists in Toronto to get their views about the test. Most of them found the test helpful and said it helped support their initial assessment. However, they raised concern about its cost (4,000$), the ‘aggressive’ marketing targeted at patient and also the risk of inappropriate use.
Paper available upon request.
Original research paper published in The Oncologist on March 6, 2015.
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