HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Expert interview:Gene-Expression Signatures -Clinical Implications for Breast Cancer

heblaj01 · 01-31-2007, 03:27 PM

http://www.radiology.medscape.com/vi...e/551097_print
Gene-Expression Signatures -- Clinical Implications for Breast Cancer Therapy: An Expert Interview With Dr. Joseph Sparano Posted 01/25/2007

One startling statement in this interview is:
"A prime example would be the ability to "fine-tune" treatment for patients with ER-positive, lymph-node negative breast cancer -- which accounts for about 125,000 cases diagnosed in the United States each year. About 90,000 of those patients would be potentially suitable candidates for adjuvant chemotherapy. However, we know that about 80% to 85% of those patients can be cured with endocrine therapy, and that adding chemotherapy reduces the risk of recurrence by only, on average, 1% to 5%. So we are clearly overtreating the vast majority of patients. The challenge, therefore, will be to develop markers that can identify which patients with low-risk, ER-positive disease truly do need treatment".

01-31-2007, 03:27 PM	#1
heblaj01 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 543	Expert interview:Gene-Expression Signatures -Clinical Implications for Breast Cancer http://www.radiology.medscape.com/vi...e/551097_print Gene-Expression Signatures -- Clinical Implications for Breast Cancer Therapy: An Expert Interview With Dr. Joseph Sparano Posted 01/25/2007 One startling statement in this interview is: "A prime example would be the ability to "fine-tune" treatment for patients with ER-positive, lymph-node negative breast cancer -- which accounts for about 125,000 cases diagnosed in the United States each year. About 90,000 of those patients would be potentially suitable candidates for adjuvant chemotherapy. However, we know that about 80% to 85% of those patients can be cured with endocrine therapy, and that adding chemotherapy reduces the risk of recurrence by only, on average, 1% to 5%. So we are clearly overtreating the vast majority of patients. The challenge, therefore, will be to develop markers that can identify which patients with low-risk, ER-positive disease truly do need treatment".