Examining a Genomic Test in Predicting Extended Endocrine Benefit and Recurrence Risk in a Diverse Breast Cancer...

(1) Background: Extended endocrine therapy (EET) beyond five years can reduce distant recurrence in early-stage hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer. The Breast Cancer Index (BCI) predicts recurrence risk and EET benefits, yet racial/ethnic differences in its results remain unexplored. This study evaluates such differences in a diverse early-stage HR+ breast cancer population. (2) Methods: We retrospectively analyzed demographics, tumor characteristics and BCI scores of 159 women in Hawaii with early-stage HR+ breast cancer, self-identifying as Caucasian, Filipino, Japanese, Native Hawaiian, Other Asian/Pacific Islander, or Other. Tumor characteristics included size, grade, histology, lymph node/receptor status, Oncotype DX score, and laterality. Logistic regression used demographics and tumor features as predictor variables, with BCI's benefit prediction and recurrence risk as outcome variables. (3) Results: Japanese and other Asian/Pacific Islander patients had significantly lower odds of high recurrence risk compared to Caucasian patients. Higher recurrence risk was associated with greater odds of predicted EET. Racial/ethnic differences in EET benefit prediction were not statistically significant. (4) Conclusions: No racial/ethnic differences in EET benefit prediction suggest BCI's applicability in racially and ethnically diverse populations. Findings among Japanese and other Asian/Pacific Islanders point to potential biological or socioeconomic variation. Limitations include sample size and underrepresentation of certain groups. Future studies should address these gaps and adjust for known risk factors to further clarify BCI's racial and ethnic implications.