Mammaprint vs Oncotype DX

Macchick

I'm sorry if this is repeat of a topic on this thread or elsewhere on the site but I'm hoping someone here can weigh in.  I had total mastectomies in 2/09 (2 years ago) and though tamoxifen was recommended I declined this treatment, opting instead for healthy lifestyle.  I did not do chemo based on an Oncotype score of 13. I was reviewing my file and saw that I also had the Mammaprint gene assay done at the time of my surgery.  That result came back "high risk" which, according to Agendia and this site, indicates a 29% chance of recurrence with no adjuvent treatments in addition to surgery.

This is all coming up now because I found a strange almost cauliflower like growth on my drain scar (prophylactic side, not the cancer side).  My scars keloided anyway and the original drain scar on the left didn't look as good as the other one.  I just assumed this was a keloid on the drain scar but about a month ago, it seemed to be getting larger.  Of course I am having this checked out by my surgeon soon but I couldn't help but wonder if based on the Mammaprint I should have done chemo.  Has anyone else had both a high risk Mammaprint assessment and low Oncotype DX score?  If so, what did you decide to do?

 I know the Oncotype is standard of care but I have this nagging feeling I shouldn't have written off the Mammaprint, which is what I did at the time. Any comments are appreciated.  Thanks!

barbe1958

Sorry I can't help on the Mammoprint, but I too, have a 'cauliflower-like' growth around where my drain on the cancer side came out. My onc has looked at it twice and said it's nothing, but it does bug me too! I had just assumed it was keloids but wanted her to check it anyway. Mine haven't grown...are you losing weight that makes it seem more prominent? Good luck and keep us posted.

mtoddlen

Similar issue happaned in our family: I saw a questin about which test is better: Oncotype or Mammaprint and here is my answer, hope it helps...

I am a young female doctor and unfortunately my mother had breast cancer 5 years ago and had a LOW risk Oncotype...after 3 years she recurred so we wondered what happened.  I decided to do deep research on Oncotype and found test is not as reliable as said and is not regulated by FDA. Hope this information is useful for anyone planning to have a genetic test done.  

Mammaprint is a better test for the following reasons:

1) Mammaprint is cleared by the FDA and its clinical data has been evaluated and is always under FDA review...Oncotype is NOT, Oncotype decided in 2005 not to go throught FDA approval because their patient data is weak, since test was validated in women who took 5 yrs of tamoxifen (so result is only useful if you take 5 yrs tamoxifen, otherwise test overestimates your low risk since data is flawed and misleading) and will not get approved.  Oncotype only has a CLIA clearence, which means that their laboratory runs well, but the test is not validated.

2) Mammaprint measures 70 genes...Oncotype only 16 (they mislead people by saying they measure 21, but 5 are really just for "reference").

3) Mammaprint is done in fresh tissue which guarantees quality of genetic information (RNA)...Oncotype test is run in parafined-fixed samples which have lost 80% of the genetic information quality. 

4) Mammaprint offers new complementary test in which they give a lot of additional information to physicians to make decisions for the same price (Blueprint, Theraprint, TargetPrint...additional 120 genes more at least)...Oncotype does Not.

 

 

barbe1958

Wow! I'd like to get a Mammoprint then!! I knew about the Onco info being based solely on you taking Tamoxifen, so that disallowed many women from getting tested. And it gave many a false sense of security as they didn't realize they had to take Tamox! Good info, thanks!

The oncotype is only done in the US and here in Canada we'd wait 9-12 months for results which is WAY past any benefit!! Where and how is the Mammaprint done? $$$$

ILMBeaches

I find this thread interesting.  I had oncotype test done 4 years ago and scored 29, medium high I believe?  I did some research on my own, and just felt chemo was not something I was going to do. I knew oncotype was not regulated by the FDA.  My onco never pushed me either way & my rad onco told me he thought I'd made the right decision based on all my info. Also the way it was explained to me, my risk would be lowered by just 5% if I did chemo.   I did 30 rad treatments, I am on arimidex for the last 4 years.