Performance characteristics of the MammaPrint® breast cancer diagnostic gene signature.

BACKGROUND: The analytical performance of multigene signatures depends on many parameters, including precision, repeatability, reproducibility and intratumor heterogeneity. Indicators such as sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value are typically used to define the clinical performance of a diagnostic test. AIM: Here we study these performance characteristics of the MammaPrint® (Agendia NV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) 70-gene signature using the US FDA-recommended guidelines, as well as predetermined acceptance criteria. RESULTS: The clinical and analytical performance characteristics show that MammaPrint is a robust, reproducible, precise test, with a maximum variation of 5% in multiple samplings of the same tissue. CONCLUSION: MammaPrint is a reliable indicator of distant metastasis in early-stage breast cancer patients of all ages and is well suited for personalized medical care.