Genomic Health Announces Medicare Expanded Coverage Policy for Oncotype DX® Breast Cancer Test

 Genomic Health, Inc. GHDX today announced that, effective May 8, 2013, Palmetto GBA, the designated national contractor for its Oncotype DX® breast cancer test, has expanded its coverage policy for all qualified Medicare patients to include patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) following the recent publication of the breast cancer test's DCIS Score in the peer-reviewed, Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The detection of DCIS is increasing in the United States, with more than 50,000 patients diagnosed each year. Most women with DCIS who receive breast-conserving surgery without standard radiotherapy will not develop a local recurrence, defined as either the recurrence of DCIS or the development of a new invasive cancer in the same breast. The Oncotype DX DCIS Score predicts 10-year local recurrence, DCIS or invasive carcinoma,  based on a patient's individualized underlying tumor biology regardless of whether adjuvant tamoxifen is given, providing important information beyond traditional clinical factors such as tumor size, grade, surgical margins, or menopausal status.