Test helps Oklahoma doctors tailor cancer patient treatment

SUSAN SIMPSON Comments 0
Published: July 5, 2009

Wilma Wamble wasn’t sure her body could handle the terrible side effects that might come with chemotherapy after a lumpectomy.

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But a new genetic test showed the Edmond woman likely wouldn’t benefit from chemotherapy, which can cause nausea, fatigue, hair loss and organ damage.

Instead she’s taking hormonal medication to keep her early stage breast cancer at bay.

"I had just assumed this was something I had to do,” Wamble said of chemotherapy. When told it was unnecessary, "I shouted for victory and praised the Lord.”

The test, called Oncotype DX, allows doctors to examine the genetic makeup of a breast cancer tumor and determine if chemotherapy would be effective and if cancer is likely to recur.

Wamble’s oncologist is Dr. Shubham Pant of the OU Cancer Institute. He said many Stage 1 breast cancer patients don’t benefit from chemotherapy.

A majority still underwent the costly and toxic treatment in the past.

He said the genetic test is covered by most insurance plans and allows him to personalize care and treatment to each individual’s situation.

It’s become standard practice for oncologists to recommend the test to patients with early stage breast cancer.

Oncotype DX is made by Genomic Health and analyzes tissue samples taken from breast tumors. The test looks at 21 genes associated with likelihood of cancer coming back, and a 10-year "recurrence score” is calculated. Pant said such tests have potential in tailoring treatment other cancers as well.

"This is where it’s going,” he said. "It’s an exciting time in oncology.”

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women, with one in eight women diagnosed in their lifetime.