In 2003, Katherine, a 53-year-old podiatrist found a lump in her breast during a self-examination. After multiple rounds of tests and a double mastectomy to remove her invasive breast cancer, Katherine had to choose whether to get chemotherapy to reduce the likelihood of her cancer recurring.

As Katherine contemplated her decision, her husband learned about the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score^® test, a new test that was coming onto the market. Katherine’s physician had heard about the test but didn’t think that it would be available for a couple of years. They made a deal that if she did the legwork in researching when the test would become available, and he determined that it was appropriate for her management, he would order it for her. In the meantime, standard assessments of Katherine’s tumor indicated that chemotherapy would be necessary. She reached out to Genomic Health, now part of Exact Sciences, to see when it would be available.

In January 2004, Katherine became the first commercial customer to use the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score test and learned she had a Recurrence Score result of 18, indicating that she may not benefit from chemotherapy and could proceed with an aromatase inhibitor alone for her treatment.

Katherine and her husband are now both retired and are certified ski instructors. They enjoy going for bike rides, long walks in the beautiful sierras and spending time together with their dog, Critter.

Amy is a former nurse who felt healthy and was living a “gloriously boring” life before her diagnosis. She spent her time managing her teen’s schedules, planning vacations, and working.

Then, in 2022 at the age of 46, she was diagnosed with invasive lobular breast cancer. She chose a bilateral mastectomy. Amy advocated for herself by choosing this more drastic type of surgery. She has a family history of other types of breast cancer and wanted to reduce the stress from worrying about another diagnosis of breast cancer.

Amy had never heard of the Oncotype DX^® test until her oncologist brought it up. Her surgeon didn’t order it, so she had to wait an extra 10 days after her oncologist requested the test. Waiting for the results was agonizing, but she was elated to learn that her Recurrence Score^® was 12 and that she could forgo chemotherapy. Amy had just watched a close family member go through chemotherapy for breast cancer and understood the short- and long-term side effects, and she was happy to be able to avoid it.

Not having chemotherapy also meant that Amy didn’t have the physical signs of a cancer patient, and this allowed her to control who she wanted to tell and involve in the process. Because Amy was premenopausal and her cancer was hormone receptor positive, she received anastrozole and Zoladex^® following her mastectomy.

Amy found it difficult to talk about her diagnosis because she was scared. She was grateful to loved ones who gave her space to process her situation and to make decisions, even when the choices were personal and perhaps not what others would have chosen.

Amy suggests seeking multiple opinions to find a provider you are comfortable with and that is easy to get to for appointments. She urges others with a similar diagnosis to take a breath, gather information, surround yourself with people you trust, and keep moving forward because you have no choice except to be tough.

Amy wants to share her story because she remembers wanting to find people with a similar diagnosis to help her gain courage in her treatment choice and feel optimistic about that choice. In particular, she wants others to know that the Oncotype DX test can help patients avoid unnecessary treatment.

"I think the Oncotype DX test has provided peace of mind and the confidence to make a well-informed decision to the breast cancer community.

The Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score^® test provides another critical piece in the data puzzle for breast cancer patients. Alone, it may not decide a patient's path forward, but it provides incredible insight and PERSONALIZED information that people can use to decide what treatment options suit them best and feel most comfortable.

Because no two patients or situations are alike, the test becomes an invaluable tool to use in forming a survival plan based on additional personalized factors.“

While on spring break with her family, Deepa felt pain in the right side of her chest. After a mammogram revealed a mass in her breast, she immediately got an ultrasound and biopsy. At 41, Deepa, a new breast surgeon was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer.

Like most patients, Deepa was devastated with the diagnosis and what it could potentially mean for her career as a breast surgeon. She was faced with the same decision her patients had to make - whether to get a lumpectomy or mastectomy, and whether or not she would need chemotherapy.

As a surgeon, she knew a lumpectomy would also include radiation with potential side effects - something she had seen first-hand with her patients. Ultimately, Deepa decided on a mastectomy with reconstruction.

"All of this has allowed me to gain a unique perspective from being a breast cancer surgeon and breast cancer patient. Now I know what it's like to face cancer. I have walked in my patients' shoes.“

After her mastectomy, the pathology results showed that she had a 1.5cm tumor. Deepa immediately knew that she would request an Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score test.

The results came back with a Recurrence Score result of 18 meaning her benefit from chemotherapy would be low, and she decided not to do chemotherapy.

After this experience, she recognizes that there are real people behind the statistics that doctors give to patients. Deepa now calls her patients as soon as their results come in because she understands their anxiety when waiting for answers. Deepa ensures that when she has discussion with her patients, they have a shared decision-making process about treatment and that her patients are empowered to ask the right questions when they see a medical oncologist.

Ellie was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was just 48 years old. Given that she was young, had no family history, and received regular mammograms, the news came as quite a shock.

She began noticing what she now realizes were early symptoms nearly a year before her diagnosis, which she and her doctor attributed to her new workout regime. It wasn’t until Ellie felt a hard lump that she knew she needed to get tested for breast cancer.

Ellie often felt like others would try to reassure her by saying "don't worry because most of the time it's benign, or not serious..." at each step of her journey. However, at each step, Ellie’s results were the opposite of what she wanted to hear. For example, her doctor still needed cleaner margins after her first surgery, so she had to undergo a second surgery.

Ellie first discovered the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score^® test when a friend mentioned it shortly after she was diagnosed. Once she had her first surgery, she decided to ask her doctor for it. Ellie’s doctor shared her results with her while she was in pre-op for her second surgery. Her Recurrence Score result was 31, meaning that the best treatment path for her would be chemotherapy.

Following her second surgery, Ellie and her doctor moved forward with four rounds of chemotherapy for twelve weeks as well as anastrozole to treat her cancer.

Ellie wants to share her story because she wants others to know the lesser-known side of the story, that genomic testing can help inform your decision to get chemotherapy, not just to forgo it. In her case, her Recurrence Score result of 31 provided her reassurance that chemotherapy would be an essential part of her treatment regime.

Today, Ellie is feeling good and sees the doctor every six months for a check-in. She continues her career as a lawyer and resides happily with her husband in Middletown, DE.

In 2011, Sabrina, a 40-year-old mother of three, emergency room nurse, and active runner, noticed an indentation in one of her breasts. Despite an inconclusive mammogram, she opted for a biopsy, which revealed hormone receptor-positive ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in her right breast.

Her doctor recommended a mastectomy of the right breast. She chose to do a double mastectomy, which revealed invasive breast cancer in her right breast and Paget’s disease in her left.

Sabrina’s first doctor recommended aggressive chemotherapy based on her age and African American ethnicity. A second doctor also suggested chemotherapy but with a different regimen. Sabrina was confused by the differing opinions but went ahead with a chemotherapy port placement.

She got a third opinion from an oncologist. This doctor was the first to mention the Oncotype DX^® test to possibly avoid chemotherapy. The test, performed on three tissue samples, gave Sabrina a low Recurrence Score result of 10. Based on this result, the oncologist recommended a shorter course of radiation and tamoxifen instead of chemotherapy.

Looking back, Sabrina is proud of her proactive approach during a challenging diagnosis. “This might have been the first real moment where I really stood up for myself and self-advocated,” she says. “The whole experience was life-changing for me. Everybody wanted to give their opinion, but it was really something that I did on my own.”

Sabrina now works as a breast cancer clinical trial navigator, helping patients find suitable clinical trials. She is also on many non-profit boards and is involved with multiple patient advocacy groups.

Sabrina’s message to patients is one of hope and strength. “You'll realize how strong you are and how fleeting life is,” she shares. “You can really come away with a lot of gratitude and a lot more joy in life. With the right mindset, you can use a breast cancer diagnosis to become your better self.”

Nina is a retired fourth-grade math and science teacher and an avid sports card collector who enjoys sketching, journaling, and spending time at the farmhouse with her family and friends. As a former teacher, Nina is devoted to education and helping others reach their potential.

During her career teaching, Nina worked to continuously improve the lives of her students by encouraging them to be “young mathematicians”. Nina’s approach to teaching was innovative, collaborative, and compassionate.

It was a shock to her when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2021, at the age of 64. Prior to her diagnosis, Nina did not have any physical symptoms or signs of breast cancer and there was no history of breast cancer in her family. It was when her new PCP recommended that she schedule a mammogram that her diagnosis journey began.

The initial mammogram came back questionable, which is when her health care providers conducted another mammogram, a sonogram, and a biopsy leading to her eventual diagnosis of early-stage, invasive breast cancer.

Following a lumpectomy during which three of her lymph nodes were removed (including one that was found to contain cancer cells), her doctor recommended using the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score^® test to help determine whether she may not benefit from chemotherapy. Nina’s Recurrence Score result was 21, indicating that she may not benefit from chemotherapy and could proceed with hormone-blocking therapy and radiation. Nina was overcome with emotion.

Nina feels fortunate that her cancer was caught early, and that she was able to benefit from a genomic test that put her on a much simpler medical path.

Based on her personal experience and background as an educator, she is now compelled to share her story to help others facing a cancer diagnosis. She encourages those who have recently been diagnosed with cancer to learn as much as possible from their health care providers, in order to make more informed decisions about their treatment.