Maintain pressure on reforms to protect NHSBreast cancer tests need work before clinical trials
Molecular tests to classify breast cancer subtypes are not yet accurate and consistent enough for use in clinical trials and need to be standardised, research has suggested.
The research said recent classification methods may be unsuitable for selecting patients and need much more development. Three molecular tests to identify subtypes have been developed.
The study shows widely varying inconsistent results from different tests to identify the same molecular subtypes of breast cancer. It had been assumed the different methods would produce similar results. The study was published online in the journal Lancet Oncology.
Dr Jorge Reis-Filho, from the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre at The Institute of Cancer Research said: “Our results show that although the molecular classification scheme is likely correct, tests based on expression of genes are not ready to be used for patients in clinical trials.”
“The great danger is that clinical trials set up in this way may produce results that will delay the availability of individualised therapy for breast cancer patients. This would be a waste of time and money, and could lead to patients being denied drugs that could improve their outcome.”
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