Breast Cancer Gene Test May Lead to Worse Care for Black Patients
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Newsfeed
Jan. 31, 2024 (HealthDay News) — A common genetic test to determine treatment options for breast cancer could be leading some Black patients to forego chemotherapy that might have helped them, a new study says.
The test appears to underestimate the benefit of chemotherapy in some Black women because it doesn’t take into account race-based differences in treatment response, the researchers explained.
Key Takeaways
- 1. Black women with breast cancer may not be getting needed chemo because a common genetic test is misleading their doctors
- 2. The test determines whether a woman should get chemo on top of hormone-blocking therapy
- 3. Because Black women respond less well to hormone blockers, the test could be underestimating the importance of chemo in their treatment
