There’s been a huge shift in how chemotherapy is given to people with breast cancer in the past year, a shift that will likely save tens of thousands of women from having to undergo the treatment. You may have read about the TAILORx trial, a total game-changer when it comes to diagnosing and treating breast cancer. The study found that thousands of women would actually not benefit from chemotherapy, and can have their cancer treated by hormone therapy alone. Doctors use the Oncotype DX test to determine if a woman has a good enough prognosis to avoid the risks and side effects associated with chemotherapy. Whether someone is given chemo will depend on their age and their Oncotype score. If a person’s score is low enough, that means their prognosis will not improve at all with chemotherapy, and they are spared the treatment.
“For women who have a score that does not merit chemotherapy, we won’t be giving it,” says Dr. Elizabeth Comen. “I celebrate that.”
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