Educational campaign highlights the critical role of diagnostic testing in personalized treatment decisions for early-stage breast cancer.
The Role of Diagnostics in Treatment Decisions
The campaign focuses on diagnostics as the foundation for therapeutic decisions in early-stage breast cancer. Test results are essential to doctor-patient conversations and help understand disease characteristics at the treatment planning stage. Depending on cancer type and biological features, oncologists can propose strategies best suited to each clinical situation.
Modern Diagnostic Testing and Personalized Medicine
Development of modern diagnostics, including multi-gene tests for more accurate tumor biology assessment, enables more informed and rational treatment approaches. These tests increasingly complement standard clinical evaluation, supporting therapy personalization that addresses both patient needs and healthcare system challenges.
Patient Experiences and Expectations
A study on Polish women’s attitudes toward breast cancer diagnostic solutions shows 84% of patients report greater certainty and acceptance of treatment when decisions—including chemotherapy choices—are based on additional, objective diagnostic information. For many women, test results become crucial reference points in making difficult decisions.
The use of extended diagnostics significantly influences patients’ sense of security, trust in treatment, and willingness to undergo therapy.
Key Areas Highlighted by the Campaign
The campaign draws attention to three key areas important for both patients and the healthcare system: equal access to modern diagnostics enabling decisions based on fuller disease knowledge; quality of doctor-patient communication where test results form a reliable basis for discussion; and systemic therapy personalization benefiting clinical outcomes, quality of life, and resource utilization.
Chemotherapy and Multi-Gene Testing
Chemotherapy remains crucial in breast cancer treatment, but not all patients benefit equally. Including multi-gene tests in diagnostic standards helps assess recurrence risk and predict chemotherapy effectiveness, avoiding unnecessary treatment. The Polish healthcare system should ensure access to modern diagnostic tools that support therapy personalization and improve quality of life.
“We are implementing this campaign to increase women’s awareness of early-stage breast cancer and personalized treatment, promoting informed dialogue between doctors and patients.” – Anna Kupiecka, President of OnkoCafe – Razem Lepiej Foundation.
Clinical Perspectives on Advanced Diagnostics
In clinical practice, diagnostics is key to qualifying patients for systemic treatment in early-stage breast cancer. Beyond classic factors, methods characterizing tumor biology and assessing recurrence risk are increasingly important. For hormone-dependent, HER2-negative breast cancer, multi-gene tests provide individual risk information with prognostic and predictive value.
“Patients expect clear decisions, but doctors sometimes find it difficult to recommend additional testing rather than defaulting to standard approaches like chemotherapy for young patients. Medical knowledge evolves rapidly, showing we need additional tools for optimal treatment.” – Dr. Katarzyna Pogoda, Clinical Oncologist at the Maria Skłodowska-Curie National Institute of Oncology.
Multi-gene testing enables doctors to make decisions based on fuller clinical pictures, making diagnostics a real tool for therapy personalization and clinical decision optimization.
Systemic Implications and Healthcare Challenges
“Polish treatment is financed from public funds, and we all participate in this system. Poland has broad access to modern, reimbursed drugs for breast cancer treatment. Multi-gene testing decisions should be made through multidisciplinary consensus meetings with proper patient registries.” – Prof. Renata Duchnowska, Head of Oncology Clinic at the Military Medical Institute.
Therapeutic decisions affect patients’ family, professional, and mental lives. Campaign organizers emphasize that personalization must include quality of life, concerns, and individual needs of breast cancer patients.
Patient Stories and Communication Gaps
“Information about multi-gene testing often isn’t communicated during standard oncology visits. Knowledge about these tools spreads through word-of-mouth, creating communication gaps and eroding trust. The situation worsens when patients arrange their own testing that contradicts initial medical recommendations.” – Magdalena Kardynał, President of OmeaLife Foundation.
“We have cases where women initially advised against chemotherapy ultimately received it after multi-gene testing, proving diagnostic results can change treatment courses and highlighting these tests’ value. Routine diagnostic pathways must be established to limit patients’ need for ‘detective diagnosis’.”
Psychological Impact and Campaign Activities
“An oncological diagnosis creates a serious psychological crisis, disrupting daily life and generating negative associations about treatment. Doctor communication and reliable disease information are crucial, as conscious treatment choices restore patients’ sense of agency.” – Dr. Mariola Kosowicz, Psycho-oncology Clinic at Warsaw Oncology Center.
The campaign includes webinars, workshops, social media content, and patient stories demonstrating reliable information’s role in therapeutic decisions. OnkoCafe – Razem Lepiej has supported oncology patients for over 12 years, while OmeaLife, founded by breast cancer survivors, focuses on education, psychological support, and patient empowerment.
