A genomic test developed in Spain that indicates the best treatment for breast cancer patients is part of The Best Inventions of 2022 list announced yesterday by Time magazine.
The HER2DX test evaluates the activity of 27 genes in a tumor and is indicated for women with HER2-positive cancer, who represent 20% of all breast cancer cases. It has been created by the company Reveal Genomics, a spin-off of the Hospital Clínic, the University of Barcelona, the Idibaps Institute and the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO).
This type of breast cancer is a heterogeneous group of tumors, which makes it difficult for doctors to decide when it comes to prescribing the most appropriate treatment for each patient. "There are cases in which more treatment is given than would be necessary and others in which not enough is given," explains oncologist Aleix Prat, a specialist in breast cancer and scientific director of Reveal Genomics.
The HER2DX test combines clinical data such as tumor size or lymph node status, which have traditionally guided treatment decisions, with data on the activity of the 27 genes. Some of these genes indicate what the cancer cells are like and others, what the tumor environment is like, which also determines the evolution of the disease.
To process the huge number of variables that come into play, the creators of the HER2DX have resorted to deep learning techniques, a branch of artificial intelligence. The test indicates how each patient will respond to different treatment options.
The test "favors better results for patients in early stages [of the disease] but could also lead to more personalized therapies for breast cancers in advanced stages," says Time magazine, which has chosen HER2DX as one of the thirteen inventions of the year in the 'Medical care' category.
The magazine does not establish a ranking among these thirteen inventions, but rather gives them the same prominence. Other advances that appear in the 'Medical care' category include Nova Nordisk's monkeypox vaccine, Evusheld and Paxlovid drugs against covid or an early detection test for different types of blood cancer.
The HER2DX is available from this year in Spain. Although for now it is not covered by public health, some hospitals that have budgetary autonomy already offer it, such as the Clinic in Barcelona.
Reveal Genomics anticipates that the test will be recommended in clinical practice guidelines in Europe and the United States once it has demonstrated its usefulness in a study that should conclude in 2024, reports Patricia Villagrasa, CEO of the company.
