Groundbreaking genomic test could spare millions of breast cancer patients chemotherapy

Trial suggests patients with a low test score could be treated with hormone therapy alone with near-identical outcomes ‘Like Christmas’: woman’s relief after test finds she can skip chemotherapy Millions of women with breast cancer could be spared chemotherapy with a groundbreaking genomic test, according to the results of a trial that could transform healthcare guidelines worldwide. Treatment for breast cancer, the world’s most prevalent form of the disease, involves surgery to remove tumours. Chemotherapy is then usually recommended when doctors believe there is a risk the disease will return. But chemotherapy’s toxic side-effects, which can include hair loss, rashes, nausea, insomnia and fatigue, are physically and emotionally gruelling for patients. Some women may face life-changing consequences such as infertility, cognitive impairment or early menopause. For decades, there has been little choice for patients. Now scientists have developed a genomic test that can spot who needs chemotherapy and who doesn’t. The breakthrough enables doctors to determine which patients can safely skip it, paving the way for a new era of personalised medicine. Results from an international trial