Sharon H. Giordano, MD, MPH, FASCO
Professor and Chair, Department of Breast Medical Oncology
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
ASSESS: Early Breast Cancer Treatment Decision Support Tool
What is ASSESS?
The ASSESS tool provides information to patients and their health care providers about systemic treatment for Stage I-III breast cancer. ASSESS shows estimates of survival and how different systemic treatments might impact survival rates. This tool does not endorse any particular treatment. It is intended to provide information to help shared decision making between the patient and their health care provider about what treatment is best for them. Treatment is based on biomarkers such as hormone receptor status and HER2 status, tumor profiling results, whether you have an inherited gene mutation, the stage of your breast cancer and your overall health, age, menopausal status, and wishes and values.
Who should use ASSESS?
ASSESS is designed to be used by health care providers and their female patients to discuss systemic treatment for patients with breast cancer. This tool assumes that patients have already received surgery and/or radiation, if needed. Systemic therapy might be given before or after surgery, depending on what's best for each patient. If you are a patient, ask your health care provider whether this tool may be relevant for your treatment plan and how to interpret the results.
When should ASSESS be used?
ASSESS is designed to be used during or in preparation for clinical visits to discuss systemic treatment for women with breast cancer. While ASSESS is available publicly, a health care provider can provide additional and more personalized information to better help tailor your treatment.
What data was used to make ASSESS?
ASSESS uses statistical models that were developed and validated with data from the US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The ASSESS model is currently undergoing peer review.
Who made ASSESS?
The ASSESS tool was created through a collaboration between Susan G. Komen, the MD Anderson Decision Support Lab, and investigators at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Yale School of Medicine. to learn more about the team.
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Before You Begin
- ASSESS is designed to be used during or in preparation for clinical visits to discuss systemic treatment for female patients with breast cancer.
- Overall survival estimates are for 5 years only, which may underestimate the total lifetime benefit of adjuvant treatments, particularly for patients with hormone receptor positive breast cancer.
- This tool should not be used for patients with inflammatory breast cancer, T4 disease, multifocal breast cancer, bilateral breast cancer, or infraclavicular/supraclavicular/internal mammary lymphadenopathy.
privacy
Privacy Notice
When you use ASSESS, we collect: (1) health information you input (including biomarkers, tumor characteristics, hormone receptor status, and other health data) to generate survival estimates; and (2) Technical information, including your Internet Protocol (IP) address and other usage data through Google Analytics to better understand how ASSESS is used, improve functionality, and measure performance. The health information entered into ASSESS is not saved. Technical information such as IP addresses may be stored in accordance with our standard website practices. Google Analytics may place cookies on your device to collect information about your visit, including pages visited, time spent on the site, and interaction patterns. These cookies collect information in a way that does not directly identify you. We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.
We do not share health information you input. We may share aggregate tool usage information with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center for research purposes that will not identify you as a user. We use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc., to collect and analyze information about how users interact with ASSESS. Google Analytics uses cookies and similar technologies to collect information about your use of ASSESS and may transfer this information to Google servers in the United States. We have implemented IP anonymization and configured settings to prohibit the use of your data for advertising purposes. The information generated by Google Analytics will be used only to evaluate the use of ASSESS, compile reports on website activity, and provide other services relating to website activity and internet usage.
You have the right to opt out of data collection, request deletion of your information, and withdraw your consent at any time. To exercise these rights, please contact us at privacy@komen.org. To opt out of Google Analytics tracking specifically, you can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on available at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout, or adjust your browser’s cookie settings.
This privacy notice is specific to the ASSESS tool. For more information about how Komen collects, uses, and protects your information across all our services and websites, please review our full Privacy Policy https://www.komen.org/privacy-policy/. The ASSESS tool’s use of your information is subject to both this notice and our organizational Privacy Policy. For more information about Google Analytics and Google’s privacy practices, please visit: https://policies.google.com/privacy
By clicking “Accept” below, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Disclaimer and Privacy Notice and consent to the collection and processing of your health information and IP address as described above.
aboutUs
About Us
The ASSESS tool was created through a collaboration between Susan G. Komen, the MD Anderson Decision Support Lab, and investigators at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Yale School of Medicine. Learn more about the developers below.
Sponsor
This project was supported by Susan G. Komen and NCI Cancer Center Support Grant P30CA16672.
Principal Investigators
Dr. Sharon Giordano is a medical oncologist and health services researcher at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She serves as the Chair of the Department of Breast Medical Oncology and maintains a clinical practice seeing patients with breast cancer. Her research focuses on breast cancer outcomes research, studying quality of care, toxicities, and health disparities.
Lajos Pusztai, MD, DPhil
Professor of Medicine
Co-Director of the Cancer Center Genomics, Genetics, and Epigenetics Program
Yale University School of Medicine
Dr. Lajos Pusztai is a practicing medical oncologist and cancer researcher at Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine. He is the Co-Director of the Yale Cancer Center Genomics Genetics and Epigenetics Program and Chair of the Breast Cancer Research Committee of the SWOG Clinical Trial Network. His research focuses on analyzing cancer tissue to develop new biomarkers and novel therapies for cancer. He also leads clinical trials that test new drugs and novel therapeutic strategies.
Statistical Team
Michal Marczyk, PhD, DSc
Associate Professor, Department of Data Science and Engineering
Silesian University of Technology, Poland
Assistant Professor Adjunct, Breast Medical Oncology group
Dr. Michal Marczyk is a bioinformatician and biostatistician at the Silesian University of Technology and Yale Cancer Center. His research focuses on development of methods for pre-processing and analysis of various biomedical data and images to support cancer research. He is also interested in the application of machine learning and deep learning to construct cancer-related models.
Hui Zhao
Associate Professor
Department of Health Services Research, Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Dr. Hui Zhao is an associate professor in the Department of Health Services Research at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Her research focuses on identifying factors associated with cancer risks and cancer mortality to lead to interventions to prevent cancer or improve cancer patients’ survival. She is an expert in design and analysis for research studies using large volumes of healthcare claims data. Dr. Zhao is interested in evaluating how patients’ demographic characteristics, behaviors, socioeconomic status, and health care costs are associated with breast cancer screening and breast cancer survival.
Decision Science Production Team
Robert J. Volk, PhD
Hubert L. and Olive Stringer Distinguished Professor in Cancer Research
Professor and Director, Decision Support Lab
Department of Health Services Research, Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences
Dr. Robert J. Volk is a decision scientist at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. His research focuses on shared decision making, a process wherein patients and their health care providers jointly make difficult clinical decisions when the optimal strategy is uncertain. He leads the Decision Support Lab, which produces, tests and disseminates patient support tools for decision making across the cancer care continuum.
J. Douglas Alexander, BFA
Web Development Specialist, Decision Support Lab
Department of Health Services Research, Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences
Laura Covarrubias Crocker, MSPH
Research Project Manager, Decision Support Lab
Department of Health Services Research, Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences
Disclaimer
The statistical model and validation that provide the individualized outcomes in ASSESS are currently under peer review. ASSESS should not be used as a substitute for medical evaluation, consultation, or treatment decision-making with a health care provider. ASSESS shows overall survival estimates at 5 years only, which may underestimate the total lifetime benefit of adjuvant treatments, particularly for patients with hormone receptor positive breast cancer. ASSESS should not be used for patients with inflammatory breast cancer, T4 disease, multifocal breast cancer, bilateral breast cancer, or infraclavicular/supraclavicular/internal mammary lymphadenopathy.
This tool is meant to be used by a treating oncologist and patient to obtain additional information about systemic therapies in women with breast cancer. Susan G. Komen and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the sponsors, collaborators, and partnering organizations, directors, officers, trustees, employees, agents of each of them make no warranties or representations regarding the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, comparative value, controversial nature, or usefulness of any information contained or referenced in or produced by ASSESS.
Medical evaluation is required to confirm patient details used by ASSESS, select treatment strategies, and evaluate treatment options. Patients should consult with a health care provider before taking actions or not taking actions related to their health care. Use of ASSESS does not create an expressed or implied clinician-patient relationship.
Disclaimer
Before You Begin
- ASSESS is designed to be used during or in preparation for clinical visits to discuss systemic treatment for female patients with breast cancer.
- Overall survival estimates are for 5 years only, which may underestimate the total lifetime benefit of adjuvant treatments, particularly for patients with hormone receptor positive breast cancer.
- This tool should not be used for patients with inflammatory breast cancer, T4 disease, multifocal breast cancer, bilateral breast cancer, or infraclavicular/supraclavicular/internal mammary lymphadenopathy.
Disclaimer
The statistical model and validation that provide the individualized outcomes in ASSESS are currently under peer review. ASSESS should not be used as a substitute for medical evaluation, consultation, or treatment decision-making with a health care provider. ASSESS shows overall survival estimates at 5 years only, which may underestimate the total lifetime benefit of adjuvant treatments, particularly for patients with hormone receptor positive breast cancer. ASSESS should not be used for patients with inflammatory breast cancer, T4 disease, multifocal breast cancer, bilateral breast cancer, or infraclavicular/supraclavicular/internal mammary lymphadenopathy.
This tool is meant to be used by a treating oncologist and patient to obtain additional information about systemic therapies in women with breast cancer. Susan G. Komen and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the sponsors, collaborators, and partnering organizations, directors, officers, trustees, employees, agents of each of them make no warranties or representations regarding the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, comparative value, controversial nature, or usefulness of any information contained or referenced in or produced by ASSESS.
Medical evaluation is required to confirm patient details used by ASSESS, select treatment strategies, and evaluate treatment options. Patients should consult with a health care provider before taking actions or not taking actions related to their health care. Use of ASSESS does not create an expressed or implied clinician-patient relationship.
Privacy Notice
When you use ASSESS, we collect: (1) health information you input (including biomarkers, tumor characteristics, hormone receptor status, and other health data) to generate survival estimates; and (2) Technical information, including your Internet Protocol (IP) address and other usage data through Google Analytics to better understand how ASSESS is used, improve functionality, and measure performance. The health information entered into ASSESS is not saved. Technical information such as IP addresses may be stored in accordance with our standard website practices. Google Analytics may place cookies on your device to collect information about your visit, including pages visited, time spent on the site, and interaction patterns. These cookies collect information in a way that does not directly identify you. We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.
We do not share health information you input. We may share aggregate tool usage information with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center for research purposes that will not identify you as a user. We use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc., to collect and analyze information about how users interact with ASSESS. Google Analytics uses cookies and similar technologies to collect information about your use of ASSESS and may transfer this information to Google servers in the United States. We have implemented IP anonymization and configured settings to prohibit the use of your data for advertising purposes. The information generated by Google Analytics will be used only to evaluate the use of ASSESS, compile reports on website activity, and provide other services relating to website activity and internet usage.
You have the right to opt out of data collection, request deletion of your information, and withdraw your consent at any time. To exercise these rights, please contact us at privacy@komen.org. To opt out of Google Analytics tracking specifically, you can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on available at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout, or adjust your browser’s cookie settings.
This privacy notice is specific to the ASSESS tool. For more information about how Komen collects, uses, and protects your information across all our services and websites, please review our full Privacy Policy https://www.komen.org/privacy-policy/. The ASSESS tool’s use of your information is subject to both this notice and our organizational Privacy Policy. For more information about Google Analytics and Google’s privacy practices, please visit: https://policies.google.com/privacy
By clicking “Accept” below, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Disclaimer and Privacy Notice and consent to the collection and processing of your health information and IP address as described above.