When it comes to breast cancer, physicians have long known that there is no “one-size-fits-all” treatment. A plan for eradicating the tumor may vary widely, depending on a tumor’s type, size, shape and location.
However, a newer approach to treatment is emerging that, for some women, can mean less treatment altogether. Using genetic testing, some women are finding that they may be able to skip chemotherapy.
Much of the most important research in this area has been led by Kathy Albain, MD, a medical oncologist and researcher at Loyola whose international reputation has been built not only by providing evidence-based care for her patients today, but also by building new foundations of knowledge that will guide treatment decisions for persons with cancer in the years ahead.
Most recently at the 2007 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, Dr. Albain presented the results of her pivotal research that evaluated a gene test that measures the activity of 21 genes and gives a score to predict a woman's risk of recurrence. The study looked at whether the test accurately predicted chemo's benefit in 367 women whose hormone-driven cancer had spread to lymph nodes. Albain and her team found that 10 years after these women were treated, women with low scores on the gene test were found to have had no benefit from chemo. On the other hand, chemo did a lot of good for those with high scores. With 40 percent scoring low, the results mean that as many as 18,000 women each year might safely skip chemo.