Early-Stage Breast Cancer: Communicating Recurrence Scores

Dr. Sonya Reid asks Dr. Allison DiPasquale how recurrence scores influence treatment recommendations and patient discussions in early-stage HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. Dr. DiPasquale explains that genomic recurrence scores provide valuable information that helps patients better understand their individualized risk of recurrence and the potential benefit of adjuvant therapies, including chemotherapy and endocrine therapy. She emphasizes that these results support shared decision-making by helping patients understand the rationale behind personalized treatment recommendations and reinforcing that management should be tailored to each individual's disease characteristics rather than compared with the experiences of others. Dr. DiPasquale also discusses how genomic testing may influence the sequencing of treatment by prompting multidisciplinary discussions regarding the timing of systemic therapy and surgery in selected patients. Throughout the conversation, she highlights the importance of setting expectations early, using genomic information to guide individualized care, and integrating recurrence scores with clinical judgment to optimize treatment planning for early-stage breast cancer.