Uncomfortable truths

Is breast cancer care across Europe good enough?

Almost four million people across Europe are diagnosed with a form of cancer each year. Breast cancer is the most common in women with an estimated incidence of over 500,000 annually, causing more deaths in women in Europe than any other type of cancer.

Despite such statistics, a recent patient survey about genomic testing in early-stage breast cancer, conducted by Cancer Patients Europe (CPE), a new pan-European pan-cancer patient association, in collaboration with Exact Sciences, revealed a gap in the education given to women about their breast cancer and appropriate treatment options for them.

Completed by a total of 1,383 respondents in Spain, Italy, France, Germany and the UK, the survey revealed some surprising truths about how breast cancer is managed across the region, including that 78% or four out of five breast cancer patients eligible for genomic testing were not told it was available to them.

The results highlight a critical need to increase efforts surrounding patients communication and education to ensure they are aware of all available options in their cancer care.

Genomic testing allows eligible patients with early-stage breast cancer the opportunity to benefit from personalised or precision medicine. Used as a therapy aid by physicians to tailor treatment plans to their patients’ individual cancers, genomic testing can help in some treatment decisions, including whether patients are likely to benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.

Therefore, it can spare many women with early-stage breast cancer from chemotherapy and the associated side effects. The survey also found that 55% of cancer patients did not know the difference between genetic and genomic testing and 84% of eligible patients did not feel as though they had enough information to make an informed decision on whether to take a genomic test.

These results emphasise an overwhelming lack of awareness and urgent need for medical professionals to communicate about genomic testing in breast cancer.

CPE’s Chief Executive Officer, Antonella Cardone, explained: “The survey data reveal that work needs to be done to increase awareness of the value of genomic testing in breast cancer to ensure patients have access to optimal care across Europe.

She added: “Genomic testing has the potential to offer many women with breast cancer the opportunity for precision medicine, hopefully leading to more successful treatment plans and improved outcomes.”

It is vital that we continue to collaborate to deliver for patients so that we can bridge the gap and change the course for all women with breast cancer. As an industry, we must work to raise awareness and address the key challenges in cancer care across Europe so that all eligible patients can benefit from medical innovation.

At Exact Sciences, we are dedicated to being a key partner for all women with breast cancer and supporting CPE in its mission to accelerate awareness of genomic testing in breast cancer so that, one day, it is offered as standard practice to all women who may benefit from it.