Women with Elevated Risk Scores are Encouraged
to Move to Further Screening with 3D Tomography, Screening Breast
Ultrasound and/or MRI
TORONTO, March 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - GeneNews
Limited (TSX:GEN) ("GeneNews" or the "Company") announced today the
launch of BreastSentry™, a new risk stratification test for breast
cancer, via its Virginia-based
clinical reference lab, Innovative Diagnostics Laboratory ("IDL").
BreastSentry incorporates a blood-based biomarker test with a
sophisticated algorithm to determine a woman's five-year and
lifetime risk for developing breast cancer.
BreastSentry measures the fasting plasma levels of two
biomarkers in the blood, proneurotensin ("pro-NT") and
proenkephalin ("pro-ENK"), which are highly predictive of a woman's
risk for developing breast cancer. Various longitudinal clinical
studies have shown that elevated levels of pro-NT and decreased
levels of pro-ENK are strong, independent risk factors for the
development of breast cancer.1-17 In addition,
BreastSentry measures seven key risk factors, based on the Gail
Model, for developing breast cancer to provide an additional level
of personal data into the risk stratification algorithm to create
an enriched, personalized score. The Gail Model is a statistical
breast cancer risk assessment algorithm designed by scientists at
the U.S. National Cancer Institute and the National Surgical
Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project to estimate a woman's risk of
developing invasive breast cancer.
BreastSentry is intended for use in average risk women who have
no family history of breast cancer. However, it is especially
suited for the approximate 50% of women who have dense breasts and,
therefore, require further risk stratification where mammography
leaves off. Elevated risk scores can help physicians determine if
further screening with 3D Tomography, Screening Breast Ultrasound
and/or MRI are necessary. Women with elevated risk scores are also
encouraged to adopt lifestyle changes in diet and exercise to
reduce risk moving forward.
"We are excited to make this test available to women throughout
the U.S. who are concerned with their risk for developing breast
cancer, especially those 50% of U.S. women with dense breast
tissue, who cannot rely on mammography alone to determine if they
currently have the disease," said James
Howard-Tripp, Chairman and CEO of GeneNews.
Approximately two-thirds of pre-menopausal and one-quarter of
post-menopausal women have dense breast tissue, which makes it
challenging to detect breast cancer by mammography
alone.6 High breast density, as seen on a mammogram, is
linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. Women with
heterogeneously (40%) and extremely dense breast (10%) tissue are
four-to-five times more likely to develop breast cancer than women
with low breast density.18,19
The American Cancer Society suggests women with dense breasts
talk to their health care providers about whether they should
consider adding MRI and/or Ultrasound to their annual mammography
screening.20 To help physicians determine what
comes next following either an elevated or normal BreastSentry test
score, GeneNews and IDL have also developed a BreastSentry Patient
Advocacy Protocol.
"This is a significant breakthrough for women with dense
breasts," commented Dr. Belinda
Barclay-White, founder and medical director of Arizona
Breastnet, a full service diagnostic breast center. "Any additional
information that can be added to a patient profile to determine
ongoing risk for developing breast cancer is very much needed to
help physicians, radiologists and patients determine what the next
course of action should be."
About GeneNews
GeneNews is committed to becoming a leader in advanced
diagnostics and personalized medicine, serving as a strong
commercialization outlet for early detection of cancer and other
chronic diseases. Our mission is to identify, assess and make
commercially available a comprehensive menu of diagnostics that
provide physicians and patients with personalized clinical
intelligence and actionable information to improve health out-comes
through the early diagnosis of disease. Our Richmond, Virginia-based Innovative Diagnostic
Laboratory clinical reference lab specializes in traditional and
advanced clinical evidence-based blood testing that helps find,
understand, and address cancer risk in patient populations.
Currently, IDL offers risk assessment blood tests for four major
cancer types - colon, lung, prostate and breast. GeneNews' common
shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol
'GEN'. More information on GeneNews can be found at
www.GeneNews.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements
identified by words such as "expects", "will" and similar
expressions, which reflect the Company's current expectations
regarding future events. The forward-looking statements involve
risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company's actual
events to differ materially from those projected herein. Investors
should consult the Company's ongoing quarterly filings and annual
reports for additional information on risks and uncertainties
relating to these forward-looking statements. The reader is
cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. The
Company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking
statements, except as required by law.
References
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SOURCE GeneNews Limited