Using the 21-gene assay from core needle biopsies to choose neoadjuvant therapy for breast cancer: A multicenter trial

What is it about?

The results of this study show that the 21-gene Recurrence Score can add value in assessing which patients might benefit from neoadjuvant hormone therapy.

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Why is it important?

For patients with inoperable ER+ breast cancer, having a greater understanding of the underlying biology of the tumor is critical in terms of deciding what kind of treatment will offer the greatest benefit. For patients with a low Recurrence Score result (<18), the likelihood of benefitting from chemotherapy is very low and the likelihood of benefitting from hormone therapy much greater. The Recurrence Score assay can help guide the treatment decision in the neoadjuvant setting just as it does in the adjuvant setting and thus, avoid exposing patients to toxic chemotherapy when there is little to no chance of benefit.