Study: New Test Helps Predict Breast Cancer Spread to Lymph Nodes

Using a test to gauge the activity of genes in a tumor, researchers were able to accurately predict which breast cancers were most likely to spread into the lymph nodes, according to a report published in the journal The Lancet.

The Duke University researchers said that in a test in a small group of women, they were able about 90 percent of the time to predict which patients with little or no lymph node involvement would have a recurrence within three years.

Such testing could ultimately obviate the need to remove lymph nodes to look for the spread of cancer -- a procedure that results in lymphodema for many patients following breast cancer surgery.

In their study, Dr. Joseph R. Nevins said the researchers analyzed DNA microarray data from breast tumor samples from 89 women and ultimately identified certain expression patterns linked to lymph node disease and cancer recurrence.

By looking at patterns of genes, the researchers were able to predict whether a woman's cancer would spread to her lymph nodes about 90 percent of the time.

The results need to be replicated, Nevins said. But the technique may ultimately provide doctors with a new tool to determine which patients need more aggressive therapies.

Other sources: Lancet