SAN ANTONIO, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- Genomic tests are helping doctors better predict the response of breast cancer to chemotherapy and hormone therapy, say U.S. researchers.
Researchers at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Dallas say they have developed two genomic tests that can give physicians a heads-up on whether a patient's particular breast cancer will respond to these two types of treatments.
One of the new tests is a multiple-gene test designed to predict response to chemotherapy before surgery, while the other is a genomic index that gauges 10-year survival for patients on post-operative hormonal therapy with the drug tamoxifen.
"We are moving these tests toward clinical trials, where we can measure improvements in treatment response and track how physicians and patients use this information to make better decisions about treatment," said researcher Lajos Pusztai, associate professor in M.D. Anderson's Department of Breast Medical Oncology.
Data on the new tests were presented this week at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
