Trending Now - New Test Could Help Millions of Breast Cancer Patients Skip Chemo

WHO:

BBC - Millions of people with breast cancer could potentially avoid chemotherapy.

The Guardian - Prof Rob Stein, chief investigator and professor of breast oncology at University College London (UCL).

The Guardian - Prof Iain MacPherson, co-chief investigator and professor of breast oncology at the University of Glasgow.

The Guardian - The genomic test is made by the global diagnostics company Veracyte.

WHAT:

BBC - A DNA test has been developed that distinguishes between breast cancer patients who will benefit from chemotherapy and those who will not.

The Guardian - The Optima trial involved over 4,000 patients and found that those with a low score on the genomic test could be treated safely with hormone therapy alone.

The Guardian - The trial showed that five years after treatment, 95% of patients who received chemotherapy and hormone therapy were alive and free from breast cancer recurrence, compared to 94% of those who skipped chemotherapy.

The Guardian - The randomised trial involved 4,429 patients aged 40 or above with hormone-positive breast cancer.

WHERE:

BBC - The trial followed patients in the UK, Norway, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, and Thailand.

The Guardian - The findings will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in Chicago.

WHEN:

The Guardian - The results of the trial will be presented on Saturday at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting.

WHY:

The Guardian - Chemotherapy is usually recommended when there is a risk of breast cancer returning, but it has toxic side effects that can be physically and emotionally challenging for patients.

The Guardian - The genomic test allows for more personalized medicine by identifying which patients truly benefit from chemotherapy.

HOW:

The Guardian - The Prosigna test analyzes the activity of 50 genes in tumor tissue to determine the molecular subtype and provide a score indicating the risk of breast cancer returning in the next decade.

The Guardian - Participants were assigned to two treatment groups: one received chemotherapy followed by hormone therapy, while the other had their tumors analyzed with the genomic test to determine treatment.

(UPDATED May 30, 2026 13:21 UTC)

A groundbreaking DNA test developed by the global diagnostics company Veracyte could help millions of breast cancer patients avoid chemotherapy by identifying those who will benefit from it. The Optima trial, which involved over 4,400 patients across several countries, found that those with a low score on the genomic test could safely be treated with hormone therapy alone, showing similar survival rates to those who underwent chemotherapy. The results of this significant trial will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in Chicago on Saturday.