New test ‘can identify breast cancer patients at lowest risk of death’

A molecular test has been developed to help identify breast patients with the lowest risk of death from the disease.

The University of California – San Francisco research utilised a 70-gene test to see if it could accurately and reliably identify slow-growing tumours to assess the risk of cancer recurrence up to 20 years after diagnosis.

It was shown that the test classified 15 percent of the patients as having an ultra-low risk of breast cancer death, meaning they were very unlikely to die from the disease even 20 years after diagnosis and tumour removal.

This is a potentially important development, as it could mean that these women could be informed early on that they are highly unlikely to die of their cancers and therefore do not need aggressive treatment, resulting in fewer toxic effects.

Lead author Dr Laura Esserman, a breast cancer specialist and surgeon at the University of California – San Francisco, said: "This emphasises the role that early detection can play, and how we can improve the impact of screening by focusing on those most likely to benefit."

With widespread screening, it is estimated that approximately 25 percent of postmenopausal women with breast cancer could have an ultra-low risk of death.

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