Oncotype DX® Breast Cancer Test

The Oncotype DX® Breast Cancer Test – Information for Health Professionals 

 
The Oncotype DX assay is a 21-gene assay that predicts the likelihood of chemotherapy benefit and 10-year risk of distant recurrence to inform adjuvant treatment decisions in certain women with early-stage invasive breast cancer. 
The Nova Scotia Department of Health & Wellness covers the cost of the OncoDX test for women who meet the following eligibility criteria: 
 
• Newly diagnosed with early-stage node-negative early-stage disease - I-II pN0 or I-II pN0i+ (isolated tumor cells < 0.2 mm) 
 
• Endocrine-sensitive (estrogen and/or progesterone positive), planned to receive adjuvant endocrine therapy 
 
• HER2 negative disease (IHC and/or FISH) 
 
• Medical Oncologist recommends considering adjuvant chemotherapy based on high risk features - T stage ≥ T1c or stage T1b with adverse prognostic features (Nottingham grade 2-3 or LVI) 
 
• The Medical Oncologist has discussed the pros and cons of Oncotype DX testing with the patient 
 
• The patient agrees to the Oncotype DX test being ordered and will accept the results as informative in regard to the benefit, or lack therefore, of adjuvant chemotherapy 
 
The Oncotype DX assay is done on tumor tissue that is removed during a woman’s original surgery (lumpectomy, mastectomy or core biopsy). 
 
 
 
Please visit the Oncotype IQ website for more information about the Oncotype DX assay. Patient information for this test can be found on the NSHA Library website.