Precision Therapeutics announced today that a recent clinical study supporting both the predictive and prognostic value of the ChemoFxchemoresponse assay in recurrent ovarian cancer, has been accepted for poster presentation at the 2013 European Cancer Congress (ECCO-ESMO-ESTRO) to be held September 27 October 1, 2013 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The study, titled, Evaluation of a chemoresponse assay as both a prognostic and predictive marker in the treatment of persistent or recurrent ovarian cancer, will be presented as part of the "Diagnostics/Biomarkers" session of the biennial conference.
The ability of ChemoFx to function as a predictive marker of patient outcome in persistent and recurrent ovarian cancer was evaluated in cooperation with MD Anderson Cancer Center, The Mayo Clinic and UPMC Magee Women's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
The lead author of the study is Robert L. Coleman, M.D., FACOG, FACS. Dr. Coleman serves as Professor in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine and Vice Chair of Clinical Research at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.
"Precision is committed to developing products with the aim of improving patient outcomes through every stage of cancer treatment," said Sean McDonald, President and CEO of Precision. "We continue to study the use of ChemoFxas both a prognostic and predictive marker in personalizing and refining cancer treatments for patients with difficult-to-treat advanced stage and recurrent ovarian cancer."
About Ovarian Cancer Recurrence and Treatment
More than 22,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year [in the U.S.].1 Seventy to 90% of all women with ovarian cancer have their disease recur, and 25% of recurrences occur less than 6 months from the end of the first-line therapy.2 The majority of patients with ovarian cancer (more than 70%), present with advanced disease at initial diagnosis,3 and women with advanced ovarian cancer tend to have multiple relapses and undergo several rounds of chemotherapy.4 There have been modest gains in ovarian cancer statistics in two decades, with only a small percentage of improvement in overall survival rates for recurrent ovarian cancer.
About ChemoFx
ChemoFx,is a proprietary, CLIA-certified and commercially-available chemoresponse assay which measures an individual's tumor response to a range of therapeutic alternatives under consideration by the treating physician. By testing multiple chemotherapies on a patient's tumor cells before clinically treating a cancer patient, ChemoFx helps determine the chemotherapies that are more likely to be effective and provides valuable insights that help inform physicians' treatment decisions with a goal of improving patient outcomes. For more information, please visit www.chemofx.com.
Precision Therapeutics currently receives ChemoFx specimens from 271 top medical institutions including 20 of the 21 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Member Institutions, and 8 of the US News and World Report Top 10 Hospitals for Cancer Care. Over 80,000 patient specimens to date have been tested with ChemoFx
About Precision Therapeutics
Precision Therapeutics, a leading life-science company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is dedicated to utilizing precision medicine for personalized cancer care. Precision offers a portfolio of products developed to help guide physicians and patients with difficult clinical decisions throughout the cancer care continuum. The company's leading products for personalized cancer care include ChemoFx and BioSpeciFx, a select portfolio of clinically relevant molecular tests that provide information about drug response and patient prognosis. For more information, please visit www.precisiontherapeutics.com.
1 Siegel R, et al. CA Cancer J Clin 2012;62:10-29.
2Ushijima K. "Treatment for Recurrent Ovarian Cancer—At First Relapse." J Oncol. 2010;2010:497429.
3 NCCN Guidelines for Epithelial Ovarian Cancer, Fallopian Tube Cancer, and Primary Peritoneal Cancer, v1.2013. www.nccn.org.
4Ovarian Cancer National Alliance (www.ovariancancer.org) and SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975–2005, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, Md., http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2005/.
Contacts:
Precision Therapeutics Inc.
Pam Ranallo, 412-432-1500 ext. 1502
pranallo@ptilabs.com
