Millions of breast cancer patients could safely avoid chemotherapy, study suggests
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- Prosigna gene test measured activity of 50 breast‑cancer‑related genes to assess recurrence risk.
- International trial enrolled >4,000 newly diagnosed breast‑cancer patients aged 40+ in the UK, Norway, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and Thailand.
- Low‑score patients (≈2/3 of participants) skipped chemotherapy and achieved a 5‑year survival of 93.7%, versus 94.9% for those who received chemo.
- NHS could spare >5,000 women per year from chemotherapy based on the trial’s findings.
- Prof. David Miles described the results as “practice‑changing,” noting that previously 100 women were treated to benefit only 10.
Why it matters: NHS patients gain avoidance of chemo’s side effects; over 5,000 women per year saved, cutting drug costs and improving quality of life, easing pressure on oncology services.
