Oncotype Info Page

Quotes from the above video are referenced at the bottom of this page

The Oncotype DX^® Breast Cancer Assay provides patients and their physicians with individualised information about their breast cancer to guide decisions on how to proceed with treatment.

When someone is diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, the first step is usually surgery to remove the tumour. The next step is to estimate the likelihood of the cancer coming back (recurrence), as well as consider how to proceed with treatment.

Medical oncologists look at pathological factors such as the size and grade of the tumour, the tumour’s hormone receptor and HER2 status, and whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, to estimate the likelihood that the cancer will return and consider how to proceed with treatment.

In endocrine receptor-positive, early, invasive breast cancer, hormonal therapy is usually considered a standard treatment. However, for these patients, the benefit of adding chemotherapy to hormone therapy is unclear. Traditional pathological factors often do not provide enough information to assist in the estimation of recurrence (prognosis) or prediction of the likely benefit of chemotherapy.^1-4

The Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score Test is a unique, genomic test that provides specific information about an individual’s tumour. The Oncotype DX Breast Cancer Assay is performed on breast cancer tissue saved from surgery. The test examines the unique ‘gene expression profile’ of a patient’s tumour to provide more precise information on the likelihood that their breast cancer will recur and importantly, provides information on whether chemotherapy is likely to reduce the chance that the cancer will return.^1-4

The Oncotype DX Recurrence Score analyses the expression of 21 genes to provide a Recurrence Score^® result unique to each patient.  The Breast Recurrence Score result is a number between 0 and 100.

Women with low Breast Recurrence Score results (<18) have a lower risk that their cancer may return, though it does not mean there is no chance that the breast cancer will return. Importantly, a low Recurrence Score result indicates that the addition of chemotherapy would have little to no benefit in reducing the chance of the breast cancer recurring.^2,3

Women with high Recurrence Score results (≥31) have a greater chance that their breast cancer may return, though it does not mean that the cancer will definitely come back. Importantly, women with high Breast Recurrence Score results, are likely to receive a significant benefit from chemotherapy; the addition of chemotherapy is likely to reduce the risk of the cancer returning.^2,3

For women with an intermediate Breast Recurrence Score (18-30), other factors will need to be considered in consultation with their doctor to determine the degree of benefit from chemotherapy and how to proceed with treatment.^2,3

The Oncotype DX test Breast Recurrence Score Test also provides additional information such as the levels of oestrogen, progesterone and HER2 expression in the tumour, which further guides individualised treatment planning.

Major international treatment guidelines have all incorporated the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score to guide chemotherapy treatment decisions for patients with early-stage, hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative invasive breast cancer.^5-8

Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score Home

References:

1. Paik S et al. NEJM 2004; 351: 2817-26   2. Albain KS et al. Lancet Oncol 2010; 11: 55-65   3. Paik S et al. J Clin Oncol. 2006; 24: 3726-34   4. Dowsett M et al. J Clin Oncol 2010; 28:1829-34   5. Harris LN, et al. J Clin Oncol. 2016   6. NCCN Guidelines Breast Cancer Version 2.2016   7. Senkus E, et al. Ann Oncol. 2015; 26:v8-v30   8. Coates AS, et al. Ann Oncol. 2015; 26:1533-1546

Oncotype DX® and Recurrence Score® are registered trademarks of Genomic Health, Inc. Oncotype DX® is under license from Genomic Health Inc.