Every year, Millions of women in the world are diagnosed with breast cancera disease that according to the World Health Organization is the most common among women. Recently, a biomarker which promises to improve prognosis prediction in breast cancer patients HER2+, an aggressive variant of this disease
This medical advance, led by researchers from the Clinic-IDIBAPS and the University of Paduaoffers an innovative tool that combines clinical and genomic data of the tumor, allowing a more personalized treatment for each patient. This news marks a milestone in the management of this disease and opens new doors to improve the quality of life of patients.
What HER2DX is all about and how it works
This innovative tool allows predicting the prognosis of patients with HER2+ breast cancer in early stages. Thanks to this project, the professor worked together Aleix Prat, head of the Service Clinic Medical Oncology and expert in targeted therapies and professor Pierfranco Conte, from the University of Padua, who contributed his knowledge in oncology.
The main objective of HER2DX is to identify which patients are at greater risk of relapse, allowing treatment to be personalized more precisely. To achieve this, this invention integrates 17 clinical, pathological and genomic variables that offer a complete view of tumor behavior and its response to therapies.
This tool was validated in clinical studies with more than 700 patients, which allowed us to verify its effectiveness in predicting the risk of relapse. According to Aleix Prat, this biomarker will not only reduce the use of excessive treatments, but will also help prevent patients with a higher risk of relapse from being undertreated. Prat explained: “We are overtreating some patients and undertreating others.; With HER2DX we seek to solve this problem.”
The biomarker works through a Detailed genomic and clinical analysis. Thanks to advanced bioinformatics, each patient’s data is processed to determine the probability of relapse and response to treatment. HER2DX allows, for example, to identify whether a patient needs more or less chemotherapy, or even if she can do without this treatment.
This advance has important implications not only for patients, but also for the health system. By personalizing treatment, the invention can optimize the use of medical resources, reducing costs and improving the quality of life of patients. According to Prat, the use of this tool could be extended to other types of cancer, such as triple-negative, opening new possibilities in the field of oncology.
This invention promises to be a significant advance in the fight against breast cancer, offering a personalized solution that adjusts treatment to the specific characteristics of each patient. With this tool, you search improve clinical outcomes and reduce treatment toxicitytransforming the management of this type of cancer for the future.
Source: Ambito
