A recent study led by the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) highlights the potential of RAD51 protein testing in personalizing treatment for early-stage breast cancer patients. Published in Clinical Cancer Research, the research evaluated the RAD51 test as a functional biomarker for homologous recombination repair (HRR) deficiency, aiming to identify patients who might benefit from tailored therapies beyond standard chemotherapy. The study analyzed tumor samples from the GeparOla clinical trial, which compared the efficacy of the PARP inhibitor olaparib to carboplatin chemotherapy in patients with early HER2-negative breast cancer exhibiting HRR deficiency.
Findings revealed that 80% of the 90 evaluable samples showed RAD51 protein levels indicative of functional HRR deficiency. Notably, patients with HRR deficiency determined by RAD51 testing had a pathological complete response rate of 66.7% when treated with olaparib, compared to 22.2% in those without HRR deficiency. These results suggest that RAD51 testing could be instrumental in identifying patients who are more likely to respond to specific therapies, thereby refining treatment strategies in early-stage breast cancer. The ongoing RADIOLA study, led by the SOLTI group, aims to further validate the use of RAD51 as a biomarker in advanced breast cancer, with results expected later this year. Click for More Details
