NOVA Short | Chemotherapy and Breast Cancer

It used to be standard practice that all patients received chemotherapy after surgery to prevent the recurrence of breast cancer. Today, a genetic test called Oncotype DX allows doctors to analyze the genome of a patient's cancer cells. The results can help oncologists determine whether a patient actually needs to endure chemotherapy post-surgery, thereby avoiding needless suffering. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers. Watch NOVA's "Cracking Your Genetic Code" on Wednesday, March 28, 2012 at 9pm on PBS.