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Diagnosed with DCIS: How do I decide on treatment?
Breast Cancer | Last Active: Mar 20 10:00am | Replies (345)Comment receiving replies
Thank you for this information. I want to get the Oncotype test but I don’t know what it entails. I’ll see what the doctor says but in the meantime I share your thinking about radiation and chemo (especially the chemo). I’ll keep you posted and thank you so much for your support. Really.
Replies to "Thank you for this information. I want to get the Oncotype test but I don’t know..."
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There's nothing that the patient has to do as the tumor tissue is removed at the time of surgery and a sample of it is submitted by the oncologist or surgeon for the gene testing.
It's probably a good idea to tell your surgeon and oncologist that you're interested in having the test done ahead of time so they can plan ahead. You might check with your insurance company as to coverage for the OncotypeDX but more insurers are covering it as it helps some doctors decide against recommending chemo so has a cost/benefit aspect for the insurer.
There's one condition: the OncotypeDX isn't suitable for anyone who's had cancer or chemo within the previous 12 months. And Oncotype has other tests related to breast cancer so one of them might be more relevant or helpful. Or your oncologist know of tests by other companies.