Up to 70% of early stage does not need chemotherapy

What test are you referring to? More info would be helpful as you've started two threads on this with no details. Thanks in advance.

Its the TAILORx study.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/womens-health/many-women-early-breast-cancer-may-not-need-chemo-study-n879591

I saw this on cbs news this morning. I understood it to mean that those who scored in the intermediate range on the Oncotype would not require chemo.

secondchancetoo - OncotypeDx has existed since 2003 and is commonly used for ER+ patients now - it is not a new test. The TailorX study, commenced in 2006, shows results that provide some clarity for those whose score has fallen into the "gray" area of intermediate scores. The study essentially helps reclassify the scores from low/intermediate/high into more of a low/high, providing additional guidance for treatment decisions, but is not an absolute and certainly clinical pathological features would be combined with test scores to determine the best course of action for individual patients.

It gives you more information about the tumor, unfortunately, it can't tell you if your cancer has already spread. You are still looking at statistics. For example, my coworker had a 1cm tumor no nodes involved and scored an oncodx of 4. Well not 6 months later she had a spot in the bone on her hip. I was shocked but she told me it was probably there when she was diagnosed but not picked up on scans. They just don't know.

What's in the details is that if you are premenopausal, and you have an intermediate score (16-25) you are now encouraged to have chemo. I was dx earlier in the year, am premenopausal and had a 17 oncotype score. At the time, I was not encouraged to have chemo. This study changes things. I am very concerned that when I see my oncologist in a month, she is going to recommend it. This study is good for a lot of people but not women who were advised against chemo, had stage 1, no node involvement, er/pr+, her2-, premenopausal and had an intermediate oncotype score. As I understand it, taking Tamoifen alone puts me at a 14% recurrence rate. With Chemo and then tamoxifen it's 8%.

Wathom, same for me. I was diagnosed a year and a half ago at 46, premenopausal and Oncotype of 17. I guess I am glad that I didn’t have to have chemo then but then it is concerning that if I was diagnosed now, I would likely have it.

In above article posted by Moderators, in Discussion part they say:

"Exploratory analyses indicated that chemotherapy was associated with some benefit for women 50 years of age or younger who had a recurrence score of 16 to 25 (a range of scores that was found in 46% of women in this age group). A greater treatment effect from adjuvant chemotherapy has been noted in younger women,7 which may be at least partly explained by an antiestrogenic effect associated with premature menopause induced by chemotherapy.27 We did not collect data on chemotherapy-induced menopause. It remains unclear whether similar benefits could be achieved with ovarian suppression plus an aromatase inhibitor instead of chemotherapy."

They say chemotherapy might put women at postmenopause (meaning significant reduction in estrogen production) therefore better outcome. This might be indirect effect of chemotherapy which make sense. Their last sentence in above paragraph says it all