Health · Medical Research · 1 hr ago
Tumour tests help doctors tailor breast cancer treatment
Women with similar breast cancer diagnoses may need different treatments because their tumours can have different biological features.
Doctors use tests for estrogen and progesterone receptors to see whether hormone-blocking treatment may help.
HER2 testing can point to targeted medicines, sometimes used with chemotherapy, depending on the cancer stage and the patient's circumstances.
For triple-negative breast cancer, inherited-gene testing can help identify treatment options such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy or PARP inhibitors.
Advanced genetic and genomic tests can refine treatment choices and help doctors assess prognosis, drug effectiveness and the risk of recurrence.
Results may also inform surgery, future screening and risk discussions with patients and their families.
The aim is to match treatment to each patient's tumour, rather than assume that one plan works for everyone.
Tumour tests help doctors choose breast cancer treatments based on each patient’s cancer biology.
Tests for estrogen and progesterone receptors can show whether cancer cells may respond to hormone therapy.
HER2 testing checks for excess HER2 protein, which can promote cancer growth.
Advanced genetic and genomic tests can help guide treatment selection, assess prognosis and monitor for recurrence.
Treatment may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy or combinations, depending on test results and individual circumstances.
- Who
- Doctors treating people with breast cancer. Dr Prashanth Bagali, of MedGenome Labs Ltd, discussed how testing informs treatment.
- What
- Tumour testing helps doctors tailor breast cancer treatment to the cancer’s biology.
- When
- The article was published on October 29, 2026.
- Where
- Not stated.
- Why
- Tumours can differ in their biology, affecting which treatments are appropriate.
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- Receptor tests
- Estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR)
- HER2 test
- Checks for excess HER2 protein expression
- Genetic testing
- Can identify inherited BRCA1, BRCA2, PIK3CA, ESR1, RAD51C, and PTEN genes
- Possible treatments
- Surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy or combinations
What people are saying
The other may need surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or a combination of treatments