Forum Discussion

Marianne_B's avatar
12 years ago

MammaPrint testing

I have just had a 17mm IDC surgically removed & 1 sentinel node biopsy, waiting for radiotherapy to begin, then Tamoxifen.

Curious if anyone else has had MammaPrint genomic assessment, what result (High or Low risk for recurrence), & did the result influence your treatment decision?

My decision to have this very costly test done, with results back from US within 10 days, I believe in my case has saved me months of unnecessary chemo & probable life-changing after-effects, not to mention the enormous strain on my family & my workplace.  Not knowing if you really need or should have chemo must be the most traumatising experience & no doubt having those thoughts always lurking must severely affect your life & relationships.

My heart goes to all of you who have not had the opportunity I have been given.  Obviously this type of test doesn't suit all stages/grades/types of breast cancer, but I am grateful that testing & treatment has advanced so far & for the better.

7 Replies

  • You too @"Marianne B". I'm glad to hear you're doing well. Thank you for popping in to say g'day. I hope your husband gets on top of his challenges soon. K xox
  • Hi mikey & kmakm - I have just re-entered this discussion after a few years off, trying to minimise my concentration on my former BC.  Have just had another 12 month follow-up with oncologist & everything seems stable & benign at present, hallelujah!  Thanks for your input re the testing, I put it out there originally during my intense treatment stage, I guess to balance my own thoughts with others in similar situations.

    I agree kmakm that the health system could be much better off with this testing more available & more affordable, & of course those families would benefit in many ways.

    Thank you for your comments, I appreciate them.  I will probably be out of the picture again now for a while as I concentrate on helping my husband get through some medical challenges he has been experiencing all year.

    Wishing you & yours better days ahead.  Cheers.

  • Hi @Mikey. I had the EndoPredict test and I was well past the threshold so went ahead and had chemotherapy. I have a bad family history and have no regrets for this course of action.

    I read with much interest those studies about the grey area when it comes to oncotype tests and chemo. I feel very strongly about this. Surely it would save the health system SO much money if the test was made affordable. 70% of those in the grey area wouldn't need chemo! Think of suffering and distress that would be alleviated. Fingers crossed.
  • My wife (JeanBean on this forum) qualified for a genomic test to determine whether she should have chemo. She was Stage 2a, node negative, oestrogen receptor positive, HER2 negative.  Our oncologist supported her getting a genomic test. The one they use at the SAN, Wahroonga NSW is EndoPredict - because its a bit cheaper than Oncotype DX and doesn't take as long. For Oncotype DX they have to send samples off to the USA for testing. Anyway, it cost us $2990 (non refundable by anyone) and the result was just over the threshold into the high risk range so JeanBean had to go through chemo anyway.   Since then there has been a trial using Oncotype DX which shows that many women who were in the grey risk area before can now be classified as low risk and don't need chemo. So if we were doing this all again (heaven forbid) we would insist on Oncotype DX.
  • Wonderful news of all clear for you.  My specialist has been working hard to get Mamma print available in Australia so more women can take advantage of the test without the need to send tissue overseas & hopefully to keep costs down.  I am all for it, as in my case it was the icing on the cake for a good result of low chance of recurrence of my early stage BC.  That meant no chemo for me after the surgery & radiotherapy.

    I believe most women want definitive answers regarding their chances & the treatment options & this type of testing is one more easy step on that road to recovery.  Some doctors still are hesitant to promote it, & their concerns are more related to the fact that certain processes have been followed in the past & they mostly think that patients want them to give them every treatment available for their type of cancer, just because they might risk future legal action if they miss something.  e.g. if they don't give chemo based on the low-risk recurrence factor indicated by the mamma print or similar test, & later the cancer returns, they fear litigation.

    My opinion is still that we all take responsibility for the treatment options we choose, based on all the information we can obtain from our medical team, personally researched info & as many tests we can get.  I still don't understand how patients can hold a doctor responsible if they have recurrence & they have acted on all the info available at the time.  If we take good care of our bodies - healthy eating, healthy living & positive thoughts - we are less likely to feed the cancer & more likely to have an excellent outcome.

    This time last year I was in the middle of 20 treatments of radi blasting & still working full time, just to have that feeling of normality in my changed world since diagnosis.  Had a couple of other health things as well, so left my job end March after a huge decision to give my body & mind some healing time.  Now working in the medical industry & feel amazing - changed diet (under guidance from a GP specialising in lifestyle medicine & holistic health) to mostly raw plant-based, exercising more, lost 7kg, skin brighter, energy levels high & am being told I look younger by a decade.  I am seriously considering being taken off Tamoxifen, due to lack of sleep from constant night sweats & some weird anxiety stuff & fear of repeat DVT or uterine cancer etc.  My body seems to want to heal itself & I want to give it every chance, & so far the results of my changed lifestyle are extremely encouraging.

    Sorry for the rambling on, I am so pleased for you with your results so far & just hope you have the outcome like mine.  I have been blessed with a beautiful family & caring friends, happy workplace environment, a clear & happy mind & I wish for you to experience the same, after coming through this life-changing journey.  While the waiting & worrying & decision-making & treatments are so very real & hard to handle at the time, for those with early stage treatable BC it can also be the start of a new way of looking at things & putting life into perspective.  I have accepted that my experience was an interesting time of meeting new people, managing work & home with some challenging additions to the calendar (medical appointments & treatments at 140km round trip each time).

    Gratitude is something I felt since diagnosis, & I express it every day.  I wish for you an opportunity to reach this point & feel the strength & power of how your body can be healed, sometimes in unexpected ways.  Please let me know how you are going (I don't get on this site very often, so apologies if you don't get a reply for a while).  Thank you for being in touch.

    All good wishes to you, from Marianne

     

  • Hello, tomorrow morning my specialist is sending my Tissue off to America for the mamma print . It was an easy decision for me as I will then know what treatment I will require. I was diagnosed early Dec 2014 and had a lump and 3 lympth nodes removed on the 15th Dec . I waited for 3 long weeks full of dread and worry for the results. I then had a Pet scan done last week and all clear,I was so very relieved to get a good result but am now waiting on the mammaprint results
  • i have her2 positive  pathology 14mm no anode . grade 3.  cant see need for chemo  but oncotype dx not approved aust.