‘Like Christmas’: woman’s relief after test finds she can skip chemotherapy
A groundbreaking genomic test has shown that many women with breast cancer can safely skip chemotherapy. The trial results indicate a high five-year cancer-free survival rate for those who avoided chemotherapy, comparable to those who underwent the treatment. Karen Bonham, a participant in the trial, expressed immense relief upon learning she could forgo chemotherapy and is now cancer-free after nearly nine years.
- ▪The Optima trial involved 4,429 breast cancer patients from multiple countries.
- ▪The genomic test analyzes 50 specific genes to determine the necessity of chemotherapy.
- ▪The five-year cancer-free survival rate was 93.7% for those who skipped chemotherapy.
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Dreading chemotherapy, Karen Bonham agreed to join the Optima trial after undergoing surgery. Photograph: SuppliedDreading chemotherapy, Karen Bonham agreed to join the Optima trial after undergoing surgery. Photograph: SuppliedBreast cancer‘Like Christmas’: woman’s relief after test finds she can skip chemotherapy Karen Bonham was part of successful trial for genomic test that determines which women with breast cancer can safely avoid chemotherapy Groundbreaking genomic test could spare millions of breast cancer patients chemotherapy Andrew Gregory Health editorFri 29 May 2026 15.00 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleA landmark study shows millions of women with breast cancer could skip chemotherapy thanks to a genomic test that determines who needs the treatment and who doesn’t.The…
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