Abstract
The validated EndoPredict assay is a novel tool to predict the risk of metastases of patients with estrogen receptor positive, HER2 negative breast cancer treated with endocrine therapy alone. It has been designed to integrate genomic and clinical information and includes clinico-pathological factors such as tumor size and nodal status. The test is feasible in a decentral setting in molecular pathology laboratories. In this project, we investigated the performance of this test in clinical practice, and performed a retrospective evaluation of its impact on treatment decisions in breast cancer. During one year, EndoPredict assays from 167 patients could be successfully performed. For retrospective evaluation of treatment decisions, a questionnaire was sent to the clinical partner. Regarding the molecular EP class, samples from 56 patients (33.5%) had a low-risk, whereas 111 patients (66.5%) showed a high-risk gene profile. After integration of the clinicopathological factors the combined clinical and molecular score (EPclin) resulted in a low-risk group of 77 patients (46.4%), while 89 (53.6%) had a high risk EPclin score. The EPclin-based estimated median 10-year-risk for metastases with endocrine therapy alone was 11% for the whole cohort. The median handling time averaged three days (range: 0 to 11 days), 59.3% of the tests could be performed in three or less than three days. Comparison of pre- and post-test therapy decisions showed a change of therapy in 37.7% of patients. 16 patients (12.3%) had a change to an additional chemotherapy while 25.4% of patients (n = 33) changed to an endocrine therapy alone. In 73 patients (56.2%) no change of therapy resulted. In 6.1% of patients (n = 8), the patients did not agree to the recommendation of the tumor board. Our results show that the EndoPredict assay could be routinely performed in decentral molecular pathology laboratories and the results markedly change treatment decisions.
Highlights
Breast cancer is still the most prevalent cancer type in women, accounting for 29% of all cancer cases in women in 2013
Especially the identification of patients with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive HER2-negative breast cancer with intermediate or high risk of recurrence defined by conventional clinicopathological features but low risk defined by multigene assays seems to be important for therapy decisions regarding chemotherapy and endocrine therapy
The formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples derived from female patients with primary invasive estrogen receptor (ER) positive, HER2 negative breast cancer
Summary
Breast cancer is still the most prevalent cancer type in women, accounting for 29% of all cancer cases in women in 2013. In addition to the known relevant clinicopathological prognostic factors like e.g. large tumor size (.2 cm), lymph node metastasis or HER2 gene amplification [5,6], genomic multigene assays can be used as additional tools to assist treatment decisions and to avoid under- or overtreatment by estimation of the biological tumor behavior [7,8]. These multigene signatures were discussed on the 13th St Gallen International Breast Cancer Conference 2013 [9]. Selected prognostic gene expression arrays that can be used in daily practice are listed in the WHO 2012 blue book [10]
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