Seven genes are analysed to see whether or not the cancer comes back within ten years after you get diagnosed. This test is called the Breast Cancer Index test.
Created by bioTheranostics, the Breast Cancer Index test helps in analyzing seven genes’ activities to help in predicting the risks of hormone-receptor-positive, node-negative breast cancer coming back in a decade after getting diagnosed. This test is able to help both doctors and women make the decision if whether extending hormone therapy a few more years up to a decade after would be to their benefit.
In short, this genomic test does an analysis of 7 genes which influence the likelihood of cancer coming back within a decade after getting diagnosed as well as the likelihood of how hormone therapy will benefit a woman for another five years.
Widely Used
It is suggested by research that eventually, the Breast Cancer Index will help in making decisions of treatment based on the risk of cancer coming back in other parts of the body within a decade of getting diagnosed, also called distant metastasis.
Two Scores
There are two scores reported by the Breast Cancer Index. These scores include the likelihood of whether the cancer will be recurring up to a decade after getting diagnosed and what likelihood patients will benefit from getting hormone therapy for a decade.
At the moment, this test has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration of America
Genomic Testing
While genetic testing sounds similar to genomic testing, these two tests are very different. Genetic tests sample tissue like saliva or blood and can tell if you have mutations or abnormal changes in genes that link to greater breast cancer risks.
In contrast, seeing how active specific genes happen to be is how genomic tests do an analysis of cancer. The level of activity on these genes affect cancer behaviour and includes the likelihood of whether it will spread or grow. Test that are genomic are utilized for helping to decide whether additional post-surgery treatments would be to the patients’ benefit.
Breast Cancer Index Test Eligibility
For the Breast Cancer Index test, you may be eligible if you have been undergoing hormone therapy for five years and want to find out if it will be beneficial to keep taking hormone therapy. You might also be eligible if there was no cancer in your lymph nodes. You can also take the Breast Cancer Index test if you got a diagnosis of early stage breast cancer between stages one to three.
There has been research that reveals that continuing hormone therapy for another five years for a total of a decade’s worth of hormone therapy will be beneficial for some women that had been diagnosed with HER2-negative disease, hormone receptor positive in the early stages. During the original surgery or biopsy, the index test is performed on the tissues removed. Since many patients have side effects such as joint pain and hot flashes that can be troubling, they want to know whether or not prolonging the time for additional hormone therapy is worth the side effects that need to be tolerated.