The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended three tumour profiling tests for wider use in the NHS to determine whether patients living with early breast cancer will respond to chemotherapy.
Myriad Genetics, Exact Sciences and Prosigna’s tests are set to benefit an estimated 3,000 patients in England and Wales when determining adjuvant chemotherapy decisions.
Breast cancer is currently the most common cancer in the UK, responsible for more than 55,000 cases a year, and occurs when cells in the breast grow out of control.
The decision confirms that Myriad’s EndoPredict, Exact’s Oncotype DX and the Prosigna test will be used to guide adjuvant chemotherapy decisions for multiple patients living with lymph node-positive, lymph-node-negative and micrometastatic early breast cancer dependent on various conditions highlighted in the health technology assessments’ guidance document.
Despite the majority of patients living with lymph node-positive early-stage breast cancer commonly receiving chemotherapy as treatment, research has suggested that only a minority of this patient population benefits from the treatment.
Also mentioned in the guidance, another test under appraisal known as MammaPrint by Komen was described as “less clinically effective and costs more than standard care”.
Exact Science said in a statement that its test will stop patients from receiving unnecessary chemotherapy treatments by more accurately targeting chemotherapy, while cutting 41% of patient appointments and saving NHS Trusts more than £62,000.
The company said: “Until now, access to this test has depended on where patients live due to NHS Trusts having to pay for the test out of local budgets”, which has been ended by the NICE’s new guidance.
Breast Cancer NOW’s chief executive, Baroness Delyth Morgan, responded to the guidance, calling for the tests to be included in the Genomics Testing Directory to ensure that all eligible patients will have equal access to testing without delays.
She added: “Crucially, the tests will see some patients safely spared chemotherapy and… they could also help [to] identify people who would be considered to have a low risk of their disease returning based on clinical factors but who may benefit from chemotherapy.”