Genomic Classifier Predicts Breast Cancer Radiation Benefit, Recurrence Risk
The Adjuvant Radiotherapy Intensification Classifier (ARTIC) predicts which women with early-stage breast cancer will benefit the most from radiotherapy, as well as their risk for locoregional recurrence after radiation, researchers reported in study findings (https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.19.00761) published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
They tested ARTIC in 748 women in the SweBCG91-RT trial and compared the results to previously published genomic signatures. They found the tool to be highly predictive of both radiotherapy benefit (p = 0.005) and locoregional recurrence after radiotherapy (hazard ratio = 3.4, 95% confidence interval = 2–5.9). Lower ARTIC scores were associated with greater benefit and less risk of recurrence.
“ARTIC identified women with a substantial benefit from radiotherapy as well as women with a particularly elevated locoregional recurrence risk in whom whole-breast radiotherapy was not sufficiently effective and, thus, in whom intensified treatment strategies such as tumor-bed boost, and possibly regional nodal radiotherapy, should be considered,” the researchers concluded.