The purpose of this study is to see whether a specialised laboratory test (Prosigna (PAM50) Assay) of breast cancer tissue can be used to choose women with early ER-positive HER2-negative breast cancer who can safely avoid chemotherapy because there is a low risk of the cancer coming back. New Zealand sites will be Waikato Hospital (lead site), Tauranga Hospital, Wellington Hospital and Palmerston North Hospital.
People with ER-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer are usually offered both chemotherapy and hormone (endocrine) treatment to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back in the breast or elsewhere. Currently we don’t have a single test that can tell us whether or not someone might benefit from chemotherapy, so some people may receive chemotherapy who don’t need it. Chemotherapy can have unpleasant short- and long-term side-effects.
There is some evidence to suggest that the Prosigna test is effective at predicting if patients with breast cancer which has spread to lymph nodes or with larger cancers are likely to benefit from chemotherapy. The OPTIMA trial should provide better evidence for the value of the Prosigna test in deciding on the best treatments for those with early breast cancer.
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29 April 2024