Precision oncology is here — So why are so many breast cancer treatments still a gamble?

By OncoGenomX, Allschwil, Switzerland

When it comes to breast cancer treatment, one truth remains painfully clear: despite decades of progress we still cannot answer the question which treatment(s) a tumour will respond to.

At OncoGenomX, we think it’s time to change that.

We now have tools that allow us to look inside a tumour, understand how it behaves, and predict what treatments will work best—not just for a cancer subtype, but for an individual tumour, with its unique biology.

It’s called Precision Oncology, and it’s one of the most promising frontiers in cancer care. But right now, its full potential is still out of reach for too many patients.

So why the gap?

The Promise: Personalised Treatment That Works the First Time

The dream of precision medicine is simple: treat the person, not just the disease.

In breast cancer, doctors already use some personalised tools. For example, hormone receptor tests help decide whether a patient should receive endocrine therapy.

Genetic tests like Oncotype DXTM or MammaprintTM can help determine whether chemotherapy is needed. These are great first steps.

But here’s the problem: these tools don’t go far enough. They often tell us what could work, but not what will work. Many patients are still treated based on probabilities and population averages, not precise predictions tailored to their specific tumour.

The result? Too many women receive therapies that don’t work—or stop working quickly. Some get treatments that are too aggressive. Others don’t get enough.

The Reality: Cancer Is Chaotic

Part of the reason breast cancer is so difficult to treat is that no two tumours are alike. Even within a single tumour, cells can behave very differently.

Scientists call this “coordinated chaos.” It means that a treatment might hit some parts of a tumour—but miss others entirely. It also means that two women with the “same” diagnosis may need completely different treatments.

In one major study, only about 1 in 5 patients with advanced cancer actually received all the treatments they were genetically eligible for. Even more worrying: in half of the cases, at least one drug in the treatment plan was likely ineffective.

This isn’t just a medical issue—it’s an economic one. Unmatched or suboptimal therapies drive up costs, delay results, and cause unnecessary side effects.

Precision isn’t just better for patients—it’s better for health systems too.

The Breakthrough: Predicting Treatment Response

At OncoGenomX, we believe the missing link is prediction.

We need tools that can do more than classify tumours or identify potential drug targets. We need models that predict how a specific tumour will respond to tailor-made treatment combination.

That’s why we created PredictionStar™, a clinical decision-support tool designed to help oncologists choose optimal treatment combinations, earlier.

It works by analysing real patient data, tumour biology, and how different therapies interact—so doctors can plan treatment combinations based on what’s most likely to work in concert.

In hypothesis generation studies, we’ve seen a 15–22 per cent improvement in treatment success rates—especially beyond first-line therapy. And when treatments work better, patients do better: survival improves, side effects decrease, and costs drop.

The Future: Smarter, More Human-Centered Oncology

We’re not claiming to cure cancer. But we do believe that better decisions lead to better outcomes.

Our goal is to help oncologists move away from treatment decisions based on probabilities and population averages towards truly rational and individualised treatment planning. That means:

Understanding which therapies are likely to work before trying them

Combining treatments in ways that maximise long-term benefit

Matching each patient to the right combination—any treatment line

This is especially important for women’s health.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. Yet many women still receive treatments that don’t reflect the full complexity of their disease—or the sophistication of today’s science.

Why It Matters for FemTech

At its core, precision oncology is a FemTech issue. It’s about using technology, data, and science to improve women’s lives.

Breast cancer doesn’t affect all women equally. Outcomes vary by age, race, income, and geography.

That’s why we must ensure that the tools of precision oncology are accessible, equitable, and informed by real-world data from all patients—not just clinical trial populations.

By combining human data, artificial intelligence, and biology, we can move toward a future where every woman receives the best possible care, from the very first treatment.

A Question Worth Asking

If there were a tool with the potential to help doctors select the right treatment combination for a patient’s tumour—based on predictive information—wouldn’t we want them to use it?

At OncoGenomX, we think the answer is clear.

The future of breast cancer care is personal. Let’s make it predictable, too.

Find out more about OncoGenomX at oncogenomx.ch