The Oncotype DX test is a genetic test that profiles the tumors of women who have early-stage hormone receptor-positive, HER2 negative breast cancer. The test can help predict the risk of your breast cancer returning. After surgery, a piece of the tumor is sent off to be tested. The result is a number otherwise known as the “Oncotype DX score.”
The score determines if a woman is at low, intermediate, or high risk of recurrence and based on that result, whether a woman may benefit from the addition of chemotherapy before receiving hormonal therapy. In general, women who have a low score do not need chemotherapy. Women who have a high score may decrease the risk of the cancer coming back with the addition of chemotherapy.
For women with an intermediate score, one of the largest breast cancer studies ever done recently reported that women over the age of 50 with a score less than 25 did not benefit from chemotherapy. In general, those women have an excellent prognosis with hormone therapy alone. For women younger than 50, and scores greater than 15, they may still benefit from chemotherapy prior to hormonal therapy.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
Dr. Elizabeth Comen serves as a medical advisor to SurvivorNet. She is a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Read More
The Oncotype DX test is a genetic test that profiles the tumors of women who have early-stage hormone receptor-positive, HER2 negative breast cancer. The test can help predict the risk of your breast cancer returning. After surgery, a piece of the tumor is sent off to be tested. The result is a number otherwise known as the “Oncotype DX score.”
The score determines if a woman is at low, intermediate, or high risk of recurrence and based on that result, whether a woman may benefit from the addition of chemotherapy before receiving hormonal therapy. In general, women who have a low score do not need chemotherapy. Women who have a high score may decrease the risk of the cancer coming back with the addition of chemotherapy.
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For women with an intermediate score, one of the
largest breast cancer studies ever done recently reported that women over the age of 50 with a score less than 25 did not benefit from chemotherapy. In general, those women have an excellent prognosis with hormone therapy alone. For women younger than 50, and scores greater than 15, they may still benefit from chemotherapy prior to hormonal therapy.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
Dr. Elizabeth Comen serves as a medical advisor to SurvivorNet. She is a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Read More
