A score over 18 often resulted in chemo at the time I was diagnosed, 2015. But now:

Women over the age of 50
For women over 50:

A score of 0–25 means you’re unlikely to benefit from having chemotherapy in addition to hormone therapy
A score of 26 or above means you’re likely to benefit from having chemotherapy in addition to hormone therapy
Women aged 50 or younger
For women aged 50 or under:

A score of 0–15 means you’re unlikely to benefit from having chemotherapy in addition to hormone therapy
A score of 16 or above means your specialist will discuss your test result with you to help decide if you’re likely to benefit from chemotherapy

Are you referring to an OncotypeDX result or score? Only asking as there are other Oncotype tests as well and they can get confusing.

Hi @tygerrag2 i thought I’d check in with you. As you can see, your question has unleashed quite the passionate discussion of over 80 messages so far. This discussion indicates a number of important things clearly to me.

1. There are risks and benefits to all treatments.
2. Treatment guidelines are determined by the most benefit to the majority of patients with a “tolerable” amount of side effects.
3. Each patient along with her oncology team weighs their personal benefits vs risks based on cancer type, tools that measure recurrence risk, medical history and co-conditions, age, health status, side effect tolerance AND personal preference.
4. Women think long and hard about their choices, and do their research to make the decision that is right for them.
5. Members of this forum are supportive and deeply care about their fellow bosom friends, and want to share their research and the choices they made.

Tyger, has this discussion thread helped you? Overwhelmed you? Do you have more questions or need clarification on anything you read here?

I am 22 year post menopause, and my estrogen level test showed "below detectable levels" my Oncotype DX score was 10, most other indicators of cancer pathology very "good". I chose lumpectomy, and 5 sessions of radiation but no drugs. My oncologist did not argue, said my stats were excellent, and my history of a horrific menopause, current osteopenia, plus an anxiety disorder were both red flags for taking anti-estrogens. She is very supportive and said she respects my decision, "your body, your choice." Glad I did not end up with a doctor who insists on drugs or you are not their patient!