Game-changer for early-stage breast cancer patients
GenesisCare launches South Australian-first breast cancer biomarker test
Adelaide, South Australia – GenesisCare is today announcing that for the first time, South Australian women with a common form of non-invasive breast cancer, Ductal Carcinoma in situ (DCIS), will have access to an innovative test to help predict outcomes and inform personalised treatment plans.
More than 1,300 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in South Australia each year1 with DCIS, a common precursor to breast cancer,2 accounting for up to one in five cases.3 Patients with DCIS have cancerous cells lining the milk ducts of the breast but have not yet spread into surrounding breast tissue.
Combining the latest innovations in molecular biology with artificial intelligence, DCISionRT®, developed by PreludeDx, is a precision medicine test for women diagnosed with DCIS who have undergone breast conserving surgery. The DCISionRT test assesses the 10-year risk of DCIS returning or progressing to local invasive breast cancer and predicts whether radiation therapy will be of additional benefit to surgery alone.
According to Adelaide Breast Surgeon, Dr Melissa Bochner, “Managing breast cancer and DCIS requires a tailored individualised approach based on each woman’s unique risk factors. Different patients may require different treatment approaches.
“Historically, we have relied on clinical pathology, such as tumour grade and size, to determine treatment plans for patients with DCIS. However, research supports the role of DCISionRT in identifying those patients who could benefit from radiation therapy post-surgery. Equally important is the opportunity for women with a low risk of recurrence to avoid radiotherapy.”
“One of the key benefits of the test is that it is performed on tissue that has already been removed during surgery, so patients do not need to undergo any additional procedures or tests to access DCISionRT,” added Dr Bochner.
“This innovative new test GenesisCare has introduced here in South Australia is truly revolutionising the way in which doctors and patients make informed decisions about different treatment options,” said GenesisCare Radiation Oncologist and Medical Director, Dr Marcus Dreosti.
Patients with a low DCISionRT score are considered at low risk of their DCIS returning or progressing to potentially life-threatening invasive breast cancer. For these patients, surgery alone may be appropriate. However, women with elevated risk scores may benefit from receiving radiation therapy post-surgery.
While DCIS is not life-threatening, if not treated effectively, it may become invasive and spread to other parts of the breast or body.4 In Australia, women who are diagnosed with DCIS are, on average, 3.9 times more likely to develop invasive breast cancer than Australian women of a similar age who have not had DCIS.5
Williamstown resident, Jacki Wood, 66, was diagnosed with DCIS earlier this year and was referred for radiation therapy at GenesisCare following surgery. It was here that she learned about this innovative new predictive test, DCISionRT.
“When I was diagnosed with DCIS, I felt tingly and numb all over. I had an instant ‘oh my goodness’ feeling, but I wasn’t sure how to react until I had digested the information I was given.”
“Dr Dreosti ordered the DCISionRT test for me and a few short weeks later, it determined I was at very low risk of the DCIS returning or progressing. It also predicted that, in my particular case, radiation therapy wouldn’t be of significant additional benefit to surgery,” said Jacki.
“It was incredibly reassuring to know I was at low risk of developing invasive breast cancer, and although I was prepared to undergo radiation therapy, not having to, was an added bonus.”
“It is important that all women diagnosed with DCIS have access to this test, to help inform their treatment decisions and give them confidence in their choice, as well as peace of mind,” said Jacki.
“GenesisCare is delighted to be offering South-Australian women this latest evolution in personalised medicine for early-stage non-invasive breast cancer, which may lead to significant improvements treatment planning and patient outcomes,” said Dr Dreosti.
“GenesisCare is also partnering with PreludeDx on a research program using global real-world evidence to further the clinical development of precision medicine tests for breast and other cancers.”
“As part of this initiative, we have established the AUS-PREDICT registry to further evaluate DCISionRT’s impact on treatment decisions,” said Dr Dreosti.
DCISionRT® is now available to women with DCIS in Australia. For more information on DCIS and DCISionRT click here.
References
- Cancer Council SA, Breast Cancer Fund, Accessed October 2021, https://www.cancersa.org.au/donate-to-a-specific-cause/breast-cancer-fund/
- Breast Cancer Network Australia. Types of breast cancer. 2021 [January 2021]; Available from: https://www.bcna.org.au/understanding-breast-cancer/what-is-breast-cancer/types-of-breast-cancer/#:~:text=Invasive%20ductal%20carcinoma%20(IDC)%20is,cancers%20are%20invasive%20ductal%20carcinomas.
- van Seijen, M., et al., Ductal carcinoma in situ: to treat or not to treat, that is the question. British Journal of Cancer, 2019. 121(4): p. 285-292.
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Risk of invasive breast cancer in women diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ in Australia between 1995 and 2005. 2010 [January 2021]; Available from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/cancer/risk-of-invasive-breast-cancer-in-women-1995-2005/contents/summary.
- Breast Cancer Network Australia. Ductal carcinoma in situ. 2021 [January 2021]; Available from: https://www.bcna.org.au/understanding-breast-cancer/what-is-breast-cancer/ductal-carcinoma-in-situ/#:~:text=In%20Australia%2C%20approximately%201%2C600%20women%20are%20diagnosed%20with%20DCIS%20each%20year.
