text_1: Gene test could spare women from unnecessary radiation
text_2: Women diagnosed with small breast tumors known as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) often have to make treatment decisions (including whether to add radiation therapy after surgery) without being certain about how much risk of a recurrence they really face. This story reports the results of a study that compared the genetic profile of tumors to the long-term cancer recurrence rate in a group of women. The story provides multiple views and useful context. However, most readers would likely assume that treatment decisions that incorporate these test results would offer better health outcomes. This story should have clearly stated that this study was not designed to answer that important question and that follow-up trials will be need to document the health effects of using this test. Predicting risk is one thing. Knowing which treatment is most likely to produce the best outcome for a patient with a certain risk level is a different question. People often confuse the two; so news reports about risk assessment should take special care to point out that improving the ability to predict a patient’s future does not necessarily mean that you can change that future. Eric Winer’s cautious comment was an important part of the story – “he’d like to see additional studies before using the test to advise patients.”