AACR COVID-19: Using MammaPrint Assay to Guide Chemotherapy Decisions for Breast Cancer
Posted: Monday, August 10, 2020
According to Elizabeth M. Murray, MBChB, of the Private Oncology Breast Practice, Cape Town, South Africa, and colleagues, adjuvant chemotherapy may increase the risk of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality in patients with breast cancer. The findings of this review study, which were presented during the 2020 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Virtual Meeting on COVID-19 and Cancer (Abstract PO-056), highlighted that the MammaPrint assay may effectively guide chemotherapy decisions during the COVID-019 pandemic.
“[An increased rate of intensive care unit admission and mortality in cancer patients] has led to guidelines advising more conservative approaches to cancer therapy, including chemotherapy,” the investigators explained. “By using MammaPrint in hormone receptor–positive patients with up to three nodes in whom chemotherapy is considered, the treatment-related risk can be limited, allowing safe de-escalation of therapy without increased cancer-specific mortality.”
The investigators compiled data from currently published literature to evaluate the possible interaction among breast cancer, chemotherapy, and COVID-19 infection. Based on the analyses, the risk of virus-related morbidity and mortality may be up to two times higher than normal for patients undergoing chemotherapy. However, the investigators noted that other conditions commonly found in patients with breast cancer may continue to significantly affect outcomes. Data were not obtained for quantifying the impact of chemotherapy as well as translation of the MammaPrint Score to risk in an infectious epidemic.
“We plan to pursue the statistical question of how the level of risk at any of the sites on the spectrum relates to distant metastasis–free survival so that mortality risks can be better estimated during an infection,” the investigators concluded.
Disclosure: No information regarding conflicts of interest was provided.
