OncoStem Diagnostics: A 'Made in India' test that is unprecedentedly accurate, bestowing breast cancer patients with peace of mind

Cover Story

OncoStem Diagnostics: A 'Made in India' test that is unprecedentedly accurate, bestowing breast cancer patients with peace of mind

We have come a long way from the era when surgery was the only treatment modality for breast cancer and has reached several milestones akin to radiation therapy, chemotherapy and targeted drug therapy. Treatment strategies are continually evolving. Amidst the massive 1.5 lakh breast cancer patients in India, a good proportion (~50 percent) of patients are diagnosed at an early stage (Stage 1 & 2) and a majority of them can be potentially spared from chemotherapy based on the tumor biology. Unfortunately until recently the clinicians did not have anything beyond the clinico-pathological parameters (tumor stage, grade, hormone receptor status) to decide on the treatment options. Thus, most of the patients even in early stage are being given chemotherapy- a treatment that is associated...