GenesisCare is has announced that for the first time, Australian women with non-invasive breast cancer will have access to an innovative test to help predict outcomes and inform personalised treatment plans.
Combining the latest innovations in molecular biology with artificial intelligence, DCISionRT®, developed by PreludeDx, is a precision medicine test for women diagnosed with Ductal Carcinoma in situ (DCIS) – said to be a common form of non-invasive breast cancer that has not yet spread to the surrounding breast tissue – who have undergone breast conserving surgery.
The DCISionRT test reportedly assesses the 10-year risk of DCIS returning or progressing to local invasive breast cancer and predicts whether radiation therapy will be of additional benefit to surgery alone.
This announcement follows new research from the Royal Melbourne Hospital recently presented at the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) 2021 International Conference on Surgical Cancer Care, which supports the use of DCISionRT in addressing an unmet need in DCIS risk assessment in Australian breast cancer patients.
“Historically, doctors have relied on clinical pathology, such as tumour grade and size, to determine treatment plans for patients with DCIS.
“However, results from our study support the role of DCISionRT in helping to identify those patients who could benefit from radiation therapy.
“Managing breast cancer and DCIS requires an individualised approach based on each woman’s unique risk factors. Different patients may require different treatment approaches,” says the study’s lead physician investigator, Professor Bruce Mann, Specialist Breast Surgeon and Director of Breast Cancer Services for Royal Melbourne and Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne.
“Patients with a low DCISionRT score are considered at low risk of their DCIS returning or progressing to potentially life-threatening invasive breast cancer. For these patients, surgery alone may be appropriate.
“However, women with elevated risk scores may benefit from receiving radiation therapy post-surgery.
“DCISionRT provides predictive molecular information from each patient’s tissue sample that allows doctors to identify patients with elevated risk scores who could benefit from radiation therapy.
“This personalised information also helps doctors identify patients who may not be candidates for radiation therapy, thereby helping them avoid unnecessary treatment,” says Professor Mann.
Dr Yvonne Zissiadis, GenesisCare Radiation Oncologist says that this new test will “provide physicians and patients with the opportunity to make more informed treatment decisions” and “is a gamechanger for breast cancer care in Australia”.
“GenesisCare is delighted to be bringing this latest evolution in personalised medicine to early-stage breast cancer patients across the country, which has the potential to significantly improve treatment decisions and patient outcomes,” says Dr Zissiadis.
GenesisCare will also partner with PreludeDx on a research program using global real-world evidence to further the clinical development of precision medicine tests for breast and other cancers.
“As part of this Australia-first initiative, we have established the AUS-PREDICT registry to further evaluate DCISionRT’s impact on treatment decisions as well as patient outcomes after surgery,” adds Dr Zissiadis.
DCISionRT® is now available to women with DCIS in Australia.
For more information on DCIS and DCISionRT, visit: genesiscare.com/au/treatment/cancer/dcisionrt/
