Marleen Kok: "It's wonderful that the Dutch Cancer Society sees the importance of providing chemotherapy to the right breast cancer patients. This is purely academic research, without intervention from a for-profit company, and an example of long-term research findings that will eventually find their way to our patients."
More immune cells predict better prognoses
Earlier research showed that women with many tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) have an excellent prognosis. TILs are immune cells that attack the tumor. The 10 year survival in people with a high TIL count was 96% without chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy can cause serious side effects, including decreased fertility and cardiovascular problems. Forgoing the treatment in women with a high TIL count can prevent unnecessary suffering. The OPTImaL trial investigates whether it is safe to forgo chemotherapy, and whether this will improve quality of life.
Patients can decide whether they want to receive chemotherapy after surgery in collaboration with their physician. The researchers will follow 490 women and will measure their quality of life through questionnaires. The study will show whether TILs are a reliable indicator when deciding whether to provide chemotherapy.
