AWMGS is pleased to announce the availability of PIK3CA genetic screening for Welsh patients with particular types of secondary breast cancer.
Following NICE approval, Welsh patients with select secondary breast cancer will soon benefit from more personalised and targeted treatment options thanks to novel genetic screening of the PIK3CA genetic variant in breast tumour samples; estimated to occur in 30-40% HR+ve HER-ve breast cancers.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK. Each year, about 55,000 women and 370 men in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer, 15% of all newly diagnosed cancers are breast cancer, and 1 in 7 women will develop the disease during their lifetime. Depending on the type and stage of breast cancer, treatment can include surgery, chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, and targeted therapies.
Genetic testing of breast cancers focuses on DNA changes linked to targeted therapy with phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors. PI3K inhibitors slow or stop the cancer growth by blocking chemical messengers that cause cancer cells to grow and multiply.
Using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) of DNA, this service is an expansion of CYSGODI (CYmru Service for Genomic Oncology Diagnoses) which initially launched in August 2021 to deliver a high-quality precision medicine services for cancer patients and is a welcomed milestone in ensuring Welsh NHS patients receive the same parity of access to testing advertised via the NHS England test directory.
You can also access the PIK3CA-mutated breast cancer clinical guidance document here.
