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Millions of people with breast cancer can safely avoid chemotherapy, as scientists have developed a DNA test that can determine which patients will benefit from the treatment and which will not, a study suggests.
This international study found that more than two-thirds of participants could be treated with hormone therapy alone, sparing the side effects of chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy can cause fatigue, nausea, hair loss, weakened immune system and fertility problems.
The study, led by University College London (UCL), involved more than 4,000 newly diagnosed patients over the age of 40 in the UK, Norway, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and Thailand.
The scientists used a gene test called ‘Prosigna’, which measures the activity of 50 genes associated with breast cancer growth and determines a patient’s risk of the disease coming back.
Those with low scores—two-thirds of the total group—were not given chemotherapy.
The five-year survival rate for this group was 93.7%, which is close to the 94.9% rate for patients who received chemotherapy.
The main treatment for breast cancer is usually surgical removal of the tumor. Chemotherapy is then often recommended to reduce the risk of the disease returning.
Patients with early-stage breast cancer that has spread to nearby lymph nodes are also routinely given this treatment.
But there is concern among doctors that the treatment may not offer much benefit in the most common form of breast cancer.
More than 5,000 NHS patients could avoid chemotherapy each year as a result of new research from UCL.
Karen Bonham, from Cardiff, took part in the study and said the results made it feel “very relaxing” and “like Christmas”.
The 64-year-old woman was able to avoid chemotherapy thanks to the Prosigna trial and instead underwent eight years of radiotherapy and hormone therapy.
“Being diagnosed with cancer and receiving treatment can be quite a shock,” she says.
“It throws you into a world of uncertainty. Life’s priorities change, you just want to live.”
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The results of this study will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the world’s largest cancer conference, in Chicago, USA, on Saturday.
Professor Rob Stein, head of the research team and professor of breast oncology at the UCL Cancer Institute, said: “These results will be very important to ensure that patients are treated more accurately and individually.”
“This study made decisions based on the biological characteristics of the tumor rather than relying solely on conventional clinical features.”
“This means for patients, many may be spared the physical and emotional stress of chemotherapy and its potential long-term side effects.
“It will ensure more efficient and informed use of resources for the health system.”
UCL said it is not yet known whether these findings apply to people under 40. It will take a few more years to find out.
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