Frequently Asked Questions
CanAssist Breast is a prognostic test that helps oncologists to determine the right treatment plan for each patient. The test classifies patients as ‘low-risk’ or ‘high-risk’ based on the patient’s breast cancer recurrence risks over five years.
The CanAssist Breast Risk Score ranges from 0 to 100 and assesses the likelihood of distant cancer recurrence over five years. Patients with a risk score of 15.5 or below are classified as low risk. Patients with a risk score above 15.5 are classified as high risk and would benefit from the addition of adjuvant chemotherapy.
CanAssist Breast helps to identify the likelihood of breast cancer recurrence in a distant organ post-surgery, with Hormonal Therapy and Prescribed Local radiotherapy. CAB classifies patients as ‘low-risk’ or ‘high-risk’ based on the patient’s breast cancer recurrence risks over five years. CAB risk stratification provides doctors with additional information that can be used for treatment planning.
The doctor prescribes CanAssist Breast post-surgery and before proceeding with the adjuvant or post-surgical cancer treatment.
Yes, doctors can prescribe CanAssist Breast even if the patient has had a few rounds of chemotherapy with the sample collected before initiating treatment. If the patient wants to stop chemotherapy or is having adverse reactions to chemotherapy, then the test can still be done on the primary tumor specimen.
The CanAssist Breast report is available within 8 days from the date of sample acceptance.
Each patient’s cancer is unique. Large-scale studies have shown that many early-stage breast cancer patients may not benefit from chemotherapy. Once your risk of breast cancer recurrence is known, you can consult your doctor to personalize your treatment plan and may avoid chemotherapy and its side effects.
Indian breast cancer patients are more likely to be younger, have higher grade tumors, and are often node-positive at diagnosis. CanAssist Breast has helped over 7500 plus patients to make an informed decision about their breast cancer treatment.
Some of the possible side effects of chemotherapy are:
- Hair loss
- Nausea and vomiting
- Constipation / Diarrhea
- Anaemia
- Higher risk of infections
- Weight loss
- Loss of concentration and focus
- Fertility problems
- Nerve and muscle problems
- Cardio & liver toxicity