A separate analysis of SWOG-8814 also was published online in the Lancet (doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61523-3
My Take
Promising Test Raises Questions
This is a pacesetting genetic test for the future of medical practice. Although it costs nearly $3,000 per test, it has the potential to identify a large group of patients who could safely avoid the morbidity and costs that are associated with adjuvant chemotherapy.
Clearly, testing patients without acting on the results of the test would not be cost effective. Should payers insist that patients who receive a low score on this test forgo chemotherapy or repay the cost of the test?
Will patients have enough faith in the test to choose the less intensive care path, even with values near cutoff scores?
WILLIAM E. GOLDEN, M.D., is professor of medicine and public health at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock. He reports no conflicts of interest.
Dr. Golden