Sample Preparation Approach Influences PAM50 Risk of Recurrence Score in Early Breast Cancer.

The PAM50 gene expression subtypes and the associated risk of recurrence (ROR) score are used to predict the risk of recurrence and the benefits of adjuvant therapy in early-stage breast cancer. The Prosigna assay includes the PAM50 subtypes along with their clinicopathological features, and is approved for treatment recommendations for adjuvant hormonal therapy and chemotherapy in hormone-receptor-positive early breast cancer. The Prosigna test utilizes RNA extracted from macrodissected tumor cells obtained from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections.

Prognostic value of PAM50 and risk of recurrence score in patients with early-stage breast cancer with long-term follow-up.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of the PAM50 intrinsic subtypes and risk of recurrence (ROR) score in patients with early breast cancer and long-term follow-up. A special focus was placed on hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HR+/HER2-) pN0 patients not treated with chemotherapy.

Methods: Patients with early breast cancer (n = 653) enrolled in the observational Oslo1 study (1995-1998) were followed for distant recurrence and breast cancer death.

Single cell analysis of cancer cells using an improved RT-MLPA method has potential for cancer diagnosis and monitoring.

Single cell analysis techniques have great potential in the cancer genomics field. The detection and characterization of circulating tumour cells are important for identifying metastatic disease at an early stage and monitoring it. This protocol is based on transcript profiling using Reverse Transcriptase Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (RT-MLPA), which is a specific method for simultaneous detection of multiple mRNA transcripts.

Pharmaceutical policies: effects of reference pricing, other pricing, and purchasing policies.

Background: Pharmaceuticals are important interventions that could improve people's health. Pharmaceutical pricing and purchasing policies are used as cost-containment measures to determine or affect the prices that are paid for drugs. Internal reference pricing establishes a benchmark or reference price within a country which is the maximum level of reimbursement for a group of drugs.

Pharmaceutical policies: effects of restrictions on reimbursement.

Background: Public policy makers and benefit plan managers need to restrain rising pharmaceutical drug costs while preserving access and optimizing health benefits.

Objectives: To determine the effects of a pharmaceutical policy restricting the reimbursement of selected medications on drug use, health care utilization, health outcomes and costs (expenditures).

Search Strategy: We searched the 14 major bibliographic databases and websites (to January 2009).