Genomic Tests as Predictors of Breast Cancer Patients Prognosis

Hormonal dependent breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease from a molecular and clinical perspective. The relapse risk of early breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant hormonal therapy varies. Validated predictive markers concerning adjuvant cytotoxic treatment are still lacking in ER+/ HER2- breast cancer, which has a good prognosis in general. This can lead to the inefficient chemotherapy indication. Molecular classification of breast cancer reports evidence about the heterogeneity of hormonal dependent breast cancer and its stratification to different groups with different characteristics. Multigene assays work on the molecular level, and their aim is to provide patients risk stratification and therapy efficacy prediction. The position of multigene assays in clinical practice is not stabile yet. Non uniform level of evidence connected to patients prognosis interpretations and difficult comparison of tests are the key problems, which prevent their wide clinical use. The article is a summary of some of the most important multigene assays in breast cancer and their current position in oncology practice.