Published Study Demonstrates Feasibility of a Blood Test to Predict Disease Progression and Metastasis in Localized Prostate Cancer

SAN DIEGO, May 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Epic Sciences, Inc. announced today the publication of a six-year study demonstrating the clinical applicability of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) to predict prostate cancer progression and metastasis. The study, conducted in collaboration with the University of Michigan utilizing Epic's CTC technology platform, is published here in the Journal of Clinical Oncology Precision Oncology.

CTC-based assays are used to guide treatment decisions for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. This study sought to verify CTCs can be detected earlier in disease staging and whether associations relative to outcomes could be established. The study evaluated the associations between CTCs in the blood of 45 men diagnosed with high-risk, localized prostate cancer and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) recurrence and risk of metastasis. Study results found CTCs can be identified in most patients in this population at diagnosis and prior to surgery. The presence of CTC biomarkers was associated with patient biochemical recurrence and development of metastasis, supporting the evaluation of CTCs as a first step toward accurate risk stratification in this group of patients.

"Identifying which patients with prostate cancer are at risk of recurrence and metastasis is critical to making informed treatment decisions," said Todd Morgan, M.D., associate professor and chief of urologic oncology at Michigan Medicine and a member of the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center. "The potential to use a blood test to better predict patient outcomes is a tremendous opportunity for us to personalize patient care over the current standard-of-care."

Men with high-risk, clinically localized disease may harbor micro-metastasis that are not identified on imaging, often leading to undertreatment, which elevates the risk of prostate cancer-specific death in this patient population. This patient population is eligible for multi-modal therapy including surgery, radiation and systemic androgen deprivation therapy. Current risk stratification strategies evaluate pathology and clinical features to identify and predict which patients' disease is most likely to advance and determine who requires multimodal therapy. Recently, tissue-based gene expression tests have also demonstrated some prognostic value.

"The applicability of a blood test to identify failure of localized therapy could add significant value and advantages over tissue-based tests," said Rick Wenstrup, M.D., chief medical officer at Epic Sciences. "The ability of the Epic Sciences CTC platform to inform clinical questions in newly diagnosed, localized cancer patients represent an expansion of the clinical value of non-invasive CTC applications."

About Epic Sciences 
Epic Sciences, Inc. is developing novel diagnostics to personalize and advance the treatment and management of cancer. Epic Sciences' mission is to enable the rapid and non-invasive detection of genetic and molecular changes in cancer throughout a patient's journey. The company was founded on a powerful platform to identify and characterize rare cells, including circulating tumor cells. Epic Sciences No Cell Left Behind® technology helps match patients to therapies and monitor for drug resistance, so that the best treatment path can be chosen at every clinical decision point. Epic Sciences has partnered with Genomic Health to commercialize the Oncotype DX® AR-V7 Nucleus Detect™ test, which helps with therapeutic decisions for men with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer. Today, we partner with leading pharmaceutical companies and major cancer centers around the world to increase the success rate of cancer drugs in clinical trials and improve patient outcomes by providing physicians real-time information to guide treatment choices. Epic Sciences is headquartered in San Diego. Further information is available on the company's website, www.epicsciences.com. Stay in touch on LinkedIn or on Twitter @EpicSciences.

Media Contacts:
Jennifer Guzman
Epic Sciences
858-216-2217
[email protected]

Cammy Duong
Canale Communications
619-849-5389
[email protected] 

SOURCE Epic Sciences, Inc.

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