About Careers MedBlog Contact us
Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Advertisement

FDA Approved New Gene Test can Help Some Breast Cancer Patients Avoid Chemo

by Shirley Johanna on May 28, 2015 at 6:41 PM
Font : A-A+

FDA Approved New Gene Test can Help Some Breast Cancer Patients Avoid Chemo

A new gene test can help oncologists by providing deeper insights into tumors and reduce the use of unnecessary chemotherapy for some breast cancer patients.

Launched by genetics and genomics company ILife Discoveries in the capital on May 21, the new "MammaPrint & Blueprint" test will help evaluate the risk of distant recurrence of breast cancer.

Advertisement

It will help oncologists in identifying patients who can safely forego chemotherapy.

"The test can help doctors reduce the use of unnecessary chemotherapy by identifying the risks and its need," Anand Gupta, founder of iLife Discoveries, said in a statement.
Advertisement

Not all cancers have the same physiology nor do all tumors follow the same path of development.

MammaPrint is a 70-gene assay intended as a prognostic test for women of all ages.

According to Ramesh Sarin, senior consultant (surgical oncology) at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, with an FDA approved 70 gene-Mammaprint test now available, "we can predict the behavior of tumor by looking at its genomic profiling and manage the patient accordingly".

Blueprint is a molecular assay used in addition to the MammaPrint test in a target population of patients with early stage (stage I or II) breast cancer.

By identifying the breast cancer subtype, BluePrint allows determination of a patient's potential level of responsiveness to chemotherapy more accurately as compared to currently available technologies, with better correlation to long-term clinical treatment outcomes.

"Blueprint along with MammaPrint helps us to pick and choose a proper treatment for the patient based on their specific functional subtype and overall risk of recurrence," said Ajay Sharma, medical oncologist at Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Hospital.

Through the gene test results, patients are stratified into two distinct groups - low risk (good prognosis) or high risk (poor prognosis) of distant recurrence.

Unlike other tests, the patient is given definitive "low risk" and "high risk" results, eliminating the uncertainty of an intermediate risk score which can affect up to 39 percent of patients tested, the statement added.

Source: Medindia
Advertisement

Advertisement
Advertisement

Recommended Reading

Latest Cancer News

 Myelofibrosis: New Drugs to Revolutionize Treatment
The approvals of pipeline drugs such as momelotinib and Vonjo for myelofibrosis (a rare type of blood cancer) over some time will handle the critical unmet needs.
 Blood Vessels Can Kill Cancer Cells and Stop Breast Cancer Spread
New study highlights the dual role that blood vessels can play in cancer immunotherapy and eliciting anti-tumor immune responses or even preventing breast cancer spread.
 Weed Killer Agent Orange May Increase the Risk of Blood Cancer Among Veterans
New study evaluated the association between exposure to the chemical agent orange and the development of blood cancer with increased bleeding and blood clot formation.
Two Years: Optimal Duration of Immunotherapy in Advanced Lung Cancer
Study suggests two-year immunotherapy treatment for advanced lung cancer may be reasonable
Hope for Lethal Brain Tumors: Targeted Therapy Delays Glioma Progression
A ray of hope for glioma patients as targeted therapy boosts treatment duration.
View All
This site uses cookies to deliver our services.By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Use  Ok, Got it. Close
×

FDA Approved New Gene Test can Help Some Breast Cancer Patients Avoid Chemo Personalised Printable Document (PDF)

Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested

You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends.

Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice.

Name *

Email Address *

Country *

Areas of Interests