Prosigna Test Reduces Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

A groundbreaking clinical trial, OPTIMA, led by University College London and coordinated by the University of Warwick, has demonstrated that a genomic test called Prosigna can safely identify breast cancer patients who can avoid chemotherapy. The trial, involving over 4,400 women and men aged 40 or older with hormone-sensitive breast cancer across countries including the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, and Thailand, showed that two-thirds of patients with a low Prosigna score had similar outcomes whether they received chemotherapy or not. This means millions of patients could be spared the severe side effects of chemotherapy, receiving hormone therapy alone. The findings, presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting, are considered 'practice-changing' by leading cancer specialists and are expected to inform guidance from bodies like the United Kingdom — National Institute for Health and Care Research, potentially accelerating and broadening the use of the Prosigna test in healthcare systems globally.