On May 4, 2022 Veracyte, Inc. (Nasdaq: VCYT) reported that new consensus data from a survey of leading breast cancer oncologists in Europe suggest the importance of gene expression profile (GEP) testing in guiding treatment decisions for women with early-stage breast cancer (Press release, Veracyte, MAY 4, 2022, View Source [SID1234613540]). The findings, from the PROCURE study, were presented today at the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Breast Cancer 2022, taking place May 3-5 in Berlin, Germany .

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The PROCURE study utilized Delphi methodology to generate consensus regarding the clinical utility of GEP tests, including Veracyte’s Prosigna Breast Cancer Assay, in breast cancer treatment. A scientific committee of eight breast cancer experts developed a questionnaire, which was used to survey 133 specialists from 11 European countries. Consensus was achieved when at least 70 percent of respondents agreed on a topic. Among the findings:

88 percent of participants give importance to GEP prognostic results when deciding on chemotherapy usage in the adjuvant setting for early-stage breast cancer patients whose disease has not spread to the lymph nodes;
75 percent also consider it important when deciding on chemotherapy in the adjuvant setting in early-stage patients with 1 to 3 positive lymph nodes;
76 percent of participants agreed on the clinical utility of molecular subtype information from GEP testing to assess likelihood of disease recurrence among early-stage breast cancer patients who are hormone-receptor positive; and
75 percent think the use of molecular subtype information is useful to identify such patients who may safely avoid chemotherapy.
"Our findings show that use of gene expression profile tests has become standard of care among physicians in Europe to help guide treatment decisions for women with early-stage breast cancer," said Giuseppe Curigliano, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medical oncology at the University of Milano and the head of the Division of Early Drug Development at the European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, who presented the study findings. "We also found that physicians agree on the value of molecular subtype information, a more recent advance in such tests, to help inform treatment for individual patients."

Also among the findings, 67 percent of respondents believe that GEP tests can help physicians determine the most appropriate type of chemotherapy treatment.

"While a large-scale, prospective trial to determine such predictive information from GEP testing would be valuable, our findings suggest more education is needed among breast cancer specialists regarding the role that GEP tests play today," said Dr. Curigliano.

"We believe the PROCURE study will provide much-needed clarity to breast cancer clinicians and their patients about the clinical utility of GEP testing," Kelly Marcom, M.D., Veracyte’s medical director for breast cancer. "We’re grateful for the opportunity to sponsor this important study and to demonstrate our commitment to the global breast cancer community."