Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in India. At an incidence rate of 25.8 per 100,000 it is lower than in some developed countries, but the mortality rate (12.7 per 100 000) is comparable to that in western countries principally because of late detection. Data on incidence rates of breast cancer from six major cancer registries of India show that the annual percentage increase in the incidence of breast cancer has been in the 0.46 to 2.56 percent range. Oncotype DX is not available in India but samples are sent abroad for the test.
It is an expensive test, costing in the range of Rs 2.5 lakh. “We have been using Oncotype DX for some years now among women in tumours that are less than 4 cm with no axillary lymph nodes, estrogen progesterone receptor positive and HER 2/ neu negative. The women in the “unfavourable” range had to receive chemotherapy. However, there was a…
