SCOTTISH researchers have developed a new test to accurately predict the best breast cancer treatment for individual women.
Scientists at the Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre have created the test to quickly and effectively identify women who will benefit from hormone therapy following diagnosis of the disease.
The research, which could help up to 70 per cent of the 4600 breast cancer patients diagnosed in Scotland each year, will help doctors to quickly identify those who are responding well to drugs such as letrozole and those who are not - ensuring patients get the best treatment for them as early as possible.
James Jopling, Scottish director at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: "For the thousands of women in Scotland diagnosed with this type of breast cancer every year, this is a real step in the right direction.
"All patients receive a biopsy at diagnosis but there is often a lag time of around two weeks before surgery.
"For women with hormone receptive breast cancer, there is a window of opportunity to maximise the impact of hormone treatments and ensure the best response is achieved for them.
"The findings from this research indicate that treatment response can be measured, allowing clinicians to make an informed decision on whether or not a women should continue on letrozole or swap to something else that might be more effective."
He added that the research was only possible "thanks to the generosity of amazing supporters across the county that we are able to fund important research like this".
Dr Arran Turnbull, lead author of the study, which was carried out at the University of Edinburgh, said he hoped that the findings would one day "translate into a robust clinical test given to all women in the appropriate category to accurately predict if they will respond to treatment".
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