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| January 31, 2006 |
ChemoFx® Improves Therapy
Effectiveness for Ovarian Cancer Patients
Study Results Support Test That Helps Determine Individualized Chemotherapy Plan
By Precision Therapeutics
PITTSBURGH, Jan. 31, 2006 — A new study shows that women with ovarian cancer lived three times longer without experiencing a worsening of the disease when treated with drugs determined to be effective in treating their individual tumor.
The new study, published in the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer (IJGC), reports the results of a broad-based trial involving the selection and administration of chemotherapy drugs based upon the results of chemoresponse assay testing with the ChemoFx® assay.
"The data from this study establish the ChemoFx® assay as a potentially valuable clinical tool in treating women with recurrent ovarian cancer," said Dr. Thomas Herzog, director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Columbia University Medical Center and a coauthor of the study. "As we are faced with an ever-growing number of treatment options for these women, application of predictive technologies such as the ChemoFx® assay becomes more important. Use of the assay helps tailor the most appropriate choices for an individual patient."
ChemoFx® is a cell-based test that quantifies an individual patient's likely tumor response to single or multiple chemotherapeutic agents. Completed and ongoing clinical trials demonstrate the potential of a two- to three-fold improvement in progression-free cancer survival when ChemoFx® is used.
Precision Therapeutics sponsored the five-year study involving 256 patients with primary or recurrent cancer. In addition, Precision Therapeutics has commissioned and funded other clinical research and programs in partnership with leading medical research and academic institutions to further refine and enhance the effectiveness of ChemoFx® for a variety of tumor types, including breast tumors.
The study reported in IJGC was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the ChemoFx® test in predicting outcomes following chemotherapy in women with ovarian cancer. The ChemoFx® test used in the study selects the relevant epithelial ovarian carcinoma cells for testing, determines the relative cell survival at a range of doses from below to above peak plasma level, tests drugs or combinations of drugs and determines the individual’s degree of response to those drugs.
Because of the poor long-term outcome in ovarian cancer and the fact that ineffective cancer therapy is associated with needless cost, toxicity, delay of potentially effective therapy and the added risk of the development of resistant cancer clones, alternative approaches to the management of this disease need to be thoroughly investigated.
“With the majority of gynecological oncologists in the United States using tests to determine tumor response to chemotherapy, we feel it is imperative to continually conduct quality studies such as this one in order to improve the effectiveness of ChemoFx® and individualized cancer care,” said Dr. Holly Gallion, primary author of the study and vice president of clinical affairs at Precision Therapeutics, creator of the ChemoFx® test.
“We continue to be encouraged by the results of our studies, which give cancer patients hope for improved therapy results.”
For the current study, cases were collected from 10 medical institutions: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (Pa.); Mercy Hospital (Pittsburgh, Pa.); Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (Lebanon, N.H.); Atlanta Medical Center (Atlanta, Ga.); Greenville Hospital (Greenville, S.C.); Christ Hospital (Columbus, Ohio); St. Elizabeth Medical Center (Edgewood, Ky.); Good Samaritan Hospital (Cincinnati, Ohio), Mayo Medical College (Jacksonville, Fla.); and the Cooper Health System (Camden, N.J).
About Precision Therapeutics
Precision Therapeutics is an oncology services company dedicated to the individualization of cancer therapy. Precision Therapeutics is a leader in the development and delivery of treatment support tools that assist physicians and benefit cancer patients. For more information visit
www.precisiontherapeutics.com, call 800-547-6165 or email info@ptilabs.com