Evidence-Based Supplement & Herb Guides

TP53 Mutation Test Li-Fraumeni Syndrome, Tumor Suppressor Gene, Cancer Risk, and Prognosis

Learn what a germline TP53 mutation test means for Li-Fraumeni syndrome, including cancer risks, whole-body MRI surveillance, treatment considerations, and family testing.

A germline TP53 mutation test is used to evaluate Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) and the broader spectrum of heritable TP53-related cancer predisposition. TP53 is a...

Tumor Mutational Burden (TMB) Test Genomic Score, Mutation Load, and Immunotherapy Marker Meaning

Understand a tumor mutational burden (TMB) result, including mut/Mb scoring, TMB-high meaning, the 10 mut/Mb cutoff, immunotherapy relevance, and important assay limitations.

A tumor mutational burden (TMB) test estimates how many acquired mutations are present across a defined amount of tumor DNA, usually reported as mutations...

BRCA1 and BRCA2 Test for Breast Cancer: Hereditary Risk, Variant Meaning, and Family Risk

BRCA1 and BRCA2 testing explained: who should test, what positive, negative, and VUS results mean, hereditary breast cancer risk, and family testing.

A BRCA1 and BRCA2 test looks for inherited gene variants that can substantially raise the risk of breast, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, and certain other...

Breast Cancer Biomarker Panel: ER, PR, HER2, Ki-67, Genomic Tests, and Tumor Profile

A breast cancer biomarker panel is not one universal blood test. It is the combined set of pathology and molecular tests used to describe...

Breast Cancer Gene Panel Test: BRCA, PALB2, CHEK2, ATM, and Hereditary Risk

Breast cancer gene panel testing explained: BRCA1/2, PALB2, CHEK2, ATM, positive and VUS results, hereditary risk, screening, and family testing.

A hereditary breast cancer gene panel tests several cancer-predisposition genes at the same time instead of looking only at BRCA1 and BRCA2. Common panels...

Breast Cancer Index Test: Late Recurrence Risk and Hormone Therapy Benefit Score

Breast Cancer Index explained: late distant-recurrence risk, BCI H/I High or Low results, extended hormone therapy benefit, limits, and next steps.

Breast Cancer Index (BCI) is a tumor gene-expression test used in selected hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative early breast cancers to refine two questions that become...

CA 15-3 Test for Breast Cancer: Tumor Marker Levels, Monitoring, and Recurrence

CA 15-3 breast cancer testing explained: reference range, high and normal results, serial trends, metastatic monitoring, recurrence limits, and follow-up guidance.

CA 15-3 is a blood tumor marker that measures a circulating form of the MUC1 protein, which can be released by breast cancer cells...

CA 27.29 Test for Breast Cancer: Tumor Marker Levels, Monitoring, and Recurrence

CA 27.29 breast cancer testing explained: reference range, high and normal results, serial trends, metastatic monitoring, recurrence limits, and follow-up guidance.

CA 27.29 is a blood tumor marker that measures a circulating form of the MUC1 protein, which can be released by breast cancer cells...

Circulating Tumor DNA Test for Breast Cancer: MRD, Recurrence, Mutation Detection, and Monitoring

Breast cancer ctDNA testing explained: MRD, recurrence risk, mutation detection, liquid biopsy, treatment selection, false negatives, and current monitoring guidance.

A circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) test looks for fragments of DNA released by cancer cells into the bloodstream. In breast cancer, ctDNA has two...

EndoPredict Test: Breast Cancer Recurrence Risk and Genomic Prognosis

EndoPredict explained: EP and EPclin scores, the 3.3 cutoff, distant recurrence risk, genomic prognosis, chemotherapy decisions, and test limitations.

EndoPredict is a gene-expression test used in selected estrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative early breast cancers to estimate the risk of distant recurrence. It measures expression...

ESR1 Mutation Test for Breast Cancer: Hormone Resistance Marker, Recurrence, and Mutation Meaning

ESR1 mutation testing explained: hormone resistance, ctDNA detection, positive and negative results, oral SERDs, recurrence limits, and 2026 treatment guidance.

An ESR1 mutation test looks for acquired changes in the gene that encodes estrogen receptor alpha, a major driver of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer....

Estrogen Receptor (ER) Test: Breast Cancer Hormone Receptor Status, Positive Score, and Meaning

Learn how the estrogen receptor (ER) breast cancer test is scored, what ER-positive, ER-low, and ER-negative results mean, and how ER status guides treatment.

An estrogen receptor (ER) test shows whether breast cancer cells contain estrogen receptor protein and how many tumor-cell nuclei stain for it. Pathologists usually...

HER2 Breast Cancer Test: IHC, FISH, HER2 Score, Amplification, and HER2-Low Status

Understand HER2 breast cancer testing, including IHC scores, FISH amplification, positive and negative results, HER2-low, HER2-ultralow, and treatment meaning.

A HER2 breast cancer test determines how much HER2 protein a tumor expresses and, when needed, whether the HER2 gene is amplified. The result...

HER2 FISH Test for Breast Cancer: Gene Amplification, HER2 Status, and Result Meaning

Learn how the HER2 FISH test measures gene amplification, how HER2/CEP17 ratio and copy number define ISH groups, and what positive or negative results mean.

A HER2 FISH test examines breast cancer cells for extra copies of the HER2 gene, also called ERBB2. It is most often used when...

HER2 IHC Test for Breast Cancer: Protein Expression Score, HER2-Low, and Result Meaning

Learn how HER2 IHC scores 0, 1+, 2+, and 3+ are interpreted, what HER2-low and ultralow mean, when FISH is needed, and how results guide breast cancer therapy.

A HER2 IHC test measures HER2 protein on the surface of breast cancer cells and reports a score of 0, 1+, 2+, or 3+....

HER2-Low Breast Cancer Test: IHC Score, HER2 Expression, and Tumor Classification

Learn how HER2-low breast cancer is identified by IHC 1+ or IHC 2+/ISH-negative results, how scores are interpreted, and why HER2 expression can affect treatment.

A HER2-low breast cancer test is not a separate laboratory test. It is a way of interpreting the amount of HER2 protein seen on...

Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer Biomarker Panel: ER, PR, ESR1, PIK3CA, and Tumor Profile

A hormone receptor-positive breast cancer biomarker panel is not one universal laboratory panel. It is the combined set of pathology and molecular tests used...

Ki-67 Breast Cancer Test: Proliferation Score, Tumor Grade, and Prognosis Meaning

Learn what a Ki-67 breast cancer score measures, how percentages relate to proliferation and tumor grade, which cutoffs are useful, and why results need clinical context.

The Ki-67 breast cancer test estimates how actively tumor cells are dividing. A pathologist stains tumor tissue for the Ki-67 protein and reports the...

MammaPrint Test: Breast Cancer Recurrence Risk and Genomic Risk Score

Learn how the MammaPrint 70-gene breast cancer test classifies genomic recurrence risk, what Low, High, and UltraLow results mean, and how it can inform chemotherapy decisions.

MammaPrint is a 70-gene expression test used in selected people with early-stage invasive breast cancer to estimate the risk of distant recurrence. It analyzes...

Mammostrat Test: Breast Cancer Prognosis and Risk Classification

Mammostrat was a five-protein breast cancer prognosis test that classified low, moderate, and high recurrence risk; learn how it worked, what old results mean, and why it is no longer used.

Mammostrat was a five-marker immunohistochemistry test developed to estimate recurrence risk in early breast cancer, especially estrogen receptor-positive disease treated with endocrine therapy. It...