Discussant of the Neoadjuvant Breast Symphony Trial data, William J. Gradishar, MD, FASCO, Betsy Bramsen Professor of Breast Oncology at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University in Chicago, underscored the importance of identifying patients in a more precise and refined way in order to apply the most appropriate therapy to a given patient.

“Using this particular molecular platform may indeed allow us to better categorize patients over what [immunohistochemistry] alone is able to do. By extension, the therapies that we choose, particularly in individuals where there may be some underlying resistance, may be even more potent,” said Dr. Gradishar.

“In the end,” he concluded, “the only way that we’re going to be able to definitively address this issue is by rigorously looking at this in a prospective manner.”   ■

Disclosure: Dr. Gradishar reported no potential conflicts of interest.