PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Precision Therapeutics, a life-science company known for its expertise in the science of personalizing cancer therapy, continues to advance in genomic testing and bioinformatics research. Precision Therapeutics recently added the GeneFx® Colon signature to its array of services to complement Comprehensive Tumor Profiling for stage II colon cancer, and presented data on the test at the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery Symposium (ASCRS) June 2-6, 2012 in San Antonio, Texas.
The study, Development and Independent Validation of a Prognostic Assay for Stage II Colon Cancer Using Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Tissue, is published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO), and validates a robust prognostic DNA microarray signature for stage II colon cancer from stored Formalin Fixed Paraffin Embedded (FFPE) tumor tissue. Using an independent validation set of 144 patients, the prognostic signature predicted disease recurrence with a Hazard Ratio of 2.53 (P < .001) in the high-risk group. The signature also predicted cancer-related death with a Hazard Ratio of 2.21 (P =.0084) in the high-risk group. Additionally, the signature was shown to perform independently from known prognostic factors (P < .001). The study concluded that this gene signature represents a novel prognostic biomarker for patients with stage II colon cancer that can be applied to FFPE tumor samples.
“Unlike histologic factors which require individual interpretation, use of a prognostic signature provides a standardized approach to determining which stage II colon cancer patients may need adjuvant treatment,” says Karl E. Williams, MD, Laboratory Director. “Microarray analysis of FFPE provides a robust molecular approach to the problem. This, in combination with the ability of the signature to provide prognostic information beyond clinical covariates, makes it a useful tool in this setting.”
In 2011, Precision launched BioSpeciFx®, a panel of 23 clinically-relevant biomarkers to help physicians with their treatment decisions. With the addition of GeneFx® Colon to the portfolio, Precision will be able to help physicians assess which patients are at higher risk of recurrence, and may therefore be candidates for adjuvant chemotherapy treatment; in those cases, physicians can also employ BioSpeciFx® to help target which therapies more likely to be effective.
About Precision Therapeutics
Precision Therapeutics, a leading life-science company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is dedicated to 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.
For more information, visit: www.precisiontherapeutics.com.