Baltimore Sun Examines Genetic Research Technology Aimed At Testing, Treating Breast Cancer, Other Cancers

The Baltimore Sun on Sunday examined how genetic research is helping to develop new tools, such as tests and drugs, that might allow doctors to "tailor treatments" for breast cancer and other cancers. In the past, physicians were restricted to such factors as a patient's age, family history and tumor size in assessing cancer risk and treatment method, but that has changed as researchers "identify genes that, when mutated, alter the normal behavior of cells," according to the Sun. Oncotype DX is one new tool that examines the DNA of a woman's tumor cells for mutations in 16 genes linked to breast cancer development. According to the Sun, the test can predict the likelihood that breast cancer will recur and can improve the chances of survival. Oncotype DX's manufacturer, Genomic Health, said the process has been performed on about 17,000 women. Another test, called OncoVue, analyzes cells from a woman's saliva to detect genetic variations linked to breast cancer and indicates a woman's lifetime risk of developing the disease. In addition, BRCAAnalysis can determine a woman's lifetime risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer through blood tests that identify mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Another emerging test, the HercepTest, examines tumor cells to determine if they are positive for the HER2 gene, which accelerates tumor growth. The HercepTest determines if cancer cells will respond to the drug Roche's breast cancer drug Herceptin. "This industry is at the beginning stages of a disruptive innovation," Randy Scott, CEO of Genomic Health, said. According to the Sun, biotechnology companies are working on new DNA tests, which they hope will predict breast cancer successfully. Kathy Albain of Loyola University-Chicago's Stritch School of Medicine said that the predictive capabilities of such technologies are scientifically unproven and that their use might be premature. "We shouldn't let our enthusiasm and wish to be further along cause needless alarm in patients or give a false sense of security," Albain said (Emery, Baltimore Sun, 11/5).

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