New diagnostic procedure for breast cancer

New diagnostic procedure for breast cancer is paid for the first time by the health insurance. Many chemotherapies may be a thing of the past, experts hope.

The Bremer Handelskrankenkassen (hkk) is the first health insurance in Germany to cover the costs of the special breast cancer test „uPA / PAI-1“. For example, the diagnosis of the almost 58,000 women who develop breast cancer in Germany each year could be considerably simplified. Also can be avoided with the help of the new method in many cases, the usual chemotherapy with the known, serious side effects.

Breast cancer test: so far 400 Euro deductible
The so-called „uPA / PAI-1 assay“ has been recognized worldwide as a reliable diagnostic procedure since 2007, but has so far only been offered by a few hospitals in Germany and not paid by the health insurance companies. The hkk has now changed in a first step and agreed to be the first German health insurance company to pay the costs „uPA / PAI-1 assay“ basically to take over. Michael Lempe from the hkk board explained: „So far, the test has only been carried out regularly in a few hospitals. For cost reasons, those affected had to pay 400 euros. We'll change that now.“

Cost coverage by the health insurance promises hope
The „uPA / PAI-1 assay“ Many women are not yet known, but it offers good chances after an operation does not necessarily have to perform a chemo. As explained the director of the University Hospital Halle, Dr. med. med. Christoph Thomssen: „Not all women with breast cancer need chemotherapy after surgery. If there is no lymph node involvement in the armpit area, this metastasis risk can be determined with this tissue analysis.“ Dr. Mustafa Aydogdu, chief physician of the Breast Cancer Center at the Klinikum Bremen-Mitte added: „One in four breast cancer patients can thus be spared the onerous chemotherapy.“ The experts agree that the announced cost transfer by the hkk „an important step“ is.

On Wednesday, the hkk has signed a contract to cover the costs with the University Hospital Halle, which is one of the specialist laboratories for the investigations of the „uPA / PAI-1 assay“ operates. Already since the end of the 1980er years in Germany at the „uPA / PAI-1 assay“ Many studies have confirmed the reliability of the diagnostic procedure and today the test is regarded as scientifically and clinically well-founded in the scientific community. If the values ​​found in the tumor biological test are low, patients with no lymph node involvement in the armpit can be spared chemotherapy with the corresponding side effects.

„uPA / PAI-1 assay“ can avoid chemo
According to the hkk board member Michael Lempe should the „uPA / PAI-1 assay“ belong to the general treatment standard of medical care, as it can be a considerable relief for those affected. Therefore, the hkk from now on take over all the costs that the „uPA / PAI-1 assay“ brings with it. The procedure itself is based on the examination of fresh tumor tissue for two protein molecules, said Martina Vetter from the research laboratory in Halle. If the observed value is high, it is a malignant tumor cell that is prone to metastasis and requires chemotherapy, according to the expert. „At low levels, the tumor will not disperse and would not respond to chemo“, emphasized Martina Vetter. Where cousin unlike Dr. Mustafa Aydogdu even assumes that in the future not a quarter but just under half of those affected could be treated without chemotherapy. A reason for hope for the growing number of breast cancer patients. Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women in Germany, accounting for 28 percent of all new cancers, with an average of 30 percent of patients dying as a result of the disease. (fp, 11.11.2010)

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