研究发现 基因测试可以让许多乳腺癌患者避免化疗
The majority of women with a common form of breast cancer may be able to skip chemotherapy after surgery, based on their score on a genetic test, researchers said. As many as 65,000 women in the United States alone could be impacted by the study, released at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago. "With results of this ground-breaking study, we now can safely avoid chemotherapy in about 70 percent of patients who are diagnosed with the most common form of breast cancer," said co-author Kathy Albain, an oncologist at Loyola Medicine. "For countless women and their doctors, the days of uncertainty are over." A 21-gene test called Oncotype Dx that has been around since 2004 has helped guide some decisions, post-surgery. A high recurrence score, above 25, means chemo is advised to ward off a recurrence while a low score, below 10, means it is not. The current study involved more than 10,000 women and focused on those whose scores were in the middle range, from 11 to 25. The results show that all women over 50 with a recurrence score of 0 to 25 can be spared chemotherapy and its toxic side effects. For women under 50 with a score of 0 to 15, chemo could be skipped. However, among younger women with scores 16 to 25, outcomes were slightly better in the chemotherapy group, so in those cases doctors may urge patients to consider a chemo regimen. "The results should have a huge impact on doctors and patients. We are de-escalating toxic therapy." Albain said. |