Exact Sciences highlights impact of precision oncology portfolio on breast cancer treatment

Exact Sciences has been presenting new data from multiple trials supporting the role of its cancer screening and diagnostic tests at the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) this month, the molecular diagnostics company announced.

The Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score test (Oncotype DX) is the only test shown to predict the likelihood of chemotherapy benefit as well as recurrence in invasive breast cancer. The test is recognised as a standard of care and is included in all major breast cancer treatment guidelines.

Included in the SABCS presentations is data from an independent UK study evaluating the use of the Oncotype DX test to guide chemotherapy decisions in node-positive breast cancer.

In the study, which included 680 patients, use of the test led to 51.7% of patients being spared chemotherapy. The study also showed a 55% improvement in physicians’ confidence in their treatment recommendations, and significant cost savings to the healthcare system (£1.7m).

Findings from the 12-year TAILORx study are also included in the presentations, in which the Oncotype DX test identified the vast majority of women with node-negative disease who receive no substantial benefit from chemotherapy (approximately 80%), as well as the minority for whom chemotherapy can be lifesaving.

The company, which said it would be sharing a total of ten abstracts and three presentations at SABCS, has also been sharing data highlighting its new Oncomap ExTra, an investigational test to predict radiation therapy benefit, as well as an initial look at its approach to tumour-naive minimal residual disease (MRD), characterised by the presence of tumour-specific DNA in the body after cancer treatment.

“The breadth of evidence presented at SABCS 2022 showcases Exact Sciences’ growing precision oncology portfolio and commitment to personalising cancer care and potentially enabling better outcomes at every step,” said Rick Baehner, chief medical officer of precision oncology, Exact Sciences.

“We’re developing new tests to support cancer patients and strengthening the evidence of our current tests, including updated results from the landmark TAILORx and RxPONDER trials for the Oncotype DX test.”

Two new analyses from the independent RxPONDER trial, which demonstrated that the Oncotype DX test identifies the majority of early-stage breast cancer patients with one to three positive lymph nodes who may omit chemotherapy, were also selected for presentation.

This includes an exploratory analysis of race and clinical outcomes data, suggesting that Black patients had worse outcomes compared to White patients that were independent of Recurrence Score result, treatment arm and grade.