Long-term prognostic value of the GenesWell BCT score in Asian women with hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative early breast cancer

Abstract

Abstract Background Accurate prediction of the risk of recurrence is crucial for optimal treatment decisions in hormone receptor (HR)-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative early breast cancer. The GenesWell BCT is a molecular assay to predict the 10-year risk of distant metastasis. In this study, we evaluated the long-term prognostic value of the GenesWell BCT assay. Methods The BCT score was assessed in patients with HR-positive/HER2-negative early breast cancer who did not receive chemotherapy. We compared the 15-year distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) between risk groups classified based on the BCT score. The risk of early (0–5 years) and late (5–15 years) recurrence was evaluated based on the BCT score classification. Results According to the BCT score, 366 patients from Japan and Korea were categorized as BCT low risk (83.6%) and high risk (16.4%) for distant metastasis. Median follow-up time was 17.4 years. The 15-year DMFS rate was significantly lower in the BCT high-risk group (63.3%) than in the BCT low-risk group (93.6%) (P < 0.001). The BCT risk group was an independent prognostic factor for 15-year DMFS (hazard ratio, 4.59; 95% confidence interval 2.13–9.88; P < 0.001). Furthermore, the BCT score was a significant predictor of late recurrence (5–15 years) in patients aged ≤ 50 years and those aged > 50 years, and added prognostic information to traditional clinical prognostic factors. Conclusion The BCT score can identify patients at low risk for recurrence who may not require adjuvant chemotherapy or extended endocrine therapy, regardless of age.