Breast Cancer Foundation NZ
EXPERT trial
Early Breast Cancer clinical trials for ER+
The aim of the trial is to see whether a genomic test of breast cancer tissue can be used to identify patients who can safely avoid radiation therapy after breast cancer surgery. If the test can identify women who have a very small risk of the cancer coming back, these women may not need radiation therapy and could avoid its side effects.
The current standard of care for patients with early breast cancer is radiation therapy after breast conserving surgery, to improve outcomes. However, the need for radiotherapy after breast cancer surgery can depend on the risk of the cancer coming back, which can be different for individual patients. If the risk is very small, there may be no need for radiation therapy. Doctors and researchers are still trying to work out the risk for individual patients.
EXPERT is a trial which hopes to improve personalised use of radiation therapy in patients with early breast cancer according to their individual risks of local recurrence.
Who is it for?
All patients who have completed breast cancer surgery who have a tumour less than or equal to 2 cm in size and no spread to the lump nodes can consent to participate in EXPERT - they will have a piece of tumour tissue (from surgery) sent for Prosigna Breast Cancer Gene Signature Assay (PAM50) testing. The test is designed to determine the breast cancer type and to predict the likelihood of the cancer returning (also called the risk of recurrence), which is scored between 1 and 100. The results of the breast cancer type and risk of recurrence will determine whether patients can carry on in the study.
After testing, only those patients who have a type of cancer called luminal A breast cancer AND have a risk of recurrence score of 60 or less can continue with the EXPERT trial.
If the results from the tumour tissue test show that patients do not have luminal A breast cancer or patients have luminal A breast cancer but have a risk of recurrence score of greater than 60 they will not be eligible to carry on with the study. These patients will continue with their standard treatment in consultation with their clinician and will take no further part in the study.
What's involved?
If you want to join this trial and meet eligibility criteria you will be randomly put into one of the following 2 groups:
- Standard treatment with radiation therapy and hormonal therapy.
- Hormonal therapy (but no radiation therapy)
More information can be found here
New Zealand
Palmerston North Hospital
Waikato Hospital
Wellington Hospital (Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley District)
Australia
NSW
QLD
TAS
VIC
WA
If you think you might be a candidate for this trial, use the contact details supplied, or talk to your doctor.
Want to access a trial that's not in your area? It's not always possible, but if you're interested, email us at intouch@bcf.org.nz
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For Early Breast Cancer
Are we out of date? If you have updated or new information about a trial, we’d be grateful if you’d share it with us – email your update to intouch@bcf.org.nz
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