ALAMEDA, Calif., Sept. 08, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OncoCyte Corporation (NYSE MKT:OCX), a developer of novel, non-invasive tests for the early detection of cancer, announced that its breast cancer abstract has been selected for presentation in a poster session, at the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) in December at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, TX.
Each year the current standard of care for the diagnosis of breast cancer – annual or biannual mammogram screenings – does not meet the needs of large populations of women for whom mammography alone is not sufficient. These populations include women with dense breast tissue, genetic mutations (BRCA), a family history of breast cancer, or those who have suspicious mammogram screening results (BIRADs 3 or 4). The Company’s non-invasive test is intended to be a confirmatory, post-mammogram test that would address some of these populations, reducing the number of patients subjected to invasive procedures.
According to published reports, there are about 39 million mammograms performed annually in the U.S., resulting in 1.6 million breast biopsies per year, of which only 260,000 (16%) resulted in a cancer diagnosis. The large number of suspicious findings in diagnostic mammograms results in a significant amount of unnecessary invasive follow-up procedures. As a result, there is a financial burden, estimated to be $4 Billion a year, to the healthcare system imposed by the follow-up testing of false-positive mammograms and breast cancer over-diagnosis.
“The presentation of this data from our initial breast cancer diagnostic study is an important step in the development of our non-invasive cancer diagnostic tests,” commented William Annett, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Clearly, there is a significant unmet need for a confirmatory breast cancer test that would reduce the number of unnecessary and invasive biopsies. We are now in the process of validating the results from this initial study in a larger study group.”
The data will be presented by Karen B. Chapman, Ph.D., OncoCyte’s Vice President of Research.
Abstract Title: Development of a panel of serum-based protein biomarkers for the non-invasive detection of breast cancer in BI-RADS category 4 patients
Poster Session: 5
Session Title: Detection/Diagnosis: Detection/Diagnosis - Other
Session Date: December 9, 2016
Session Time: 5:00pm CT – 7:00pm CT
About Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among US women. Current screening guidelines set forth by the American Cancer Society recommend screening mammography for the early detection of breast cancer in women at average risk. Specifically, guidelines call for annual mammography for asymptomatic women age 45 to 54 and once every two years for women age 55 and older. Suspicious screening mammograms are generally followed up with a diagnostic mammogram and sometimes by an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Image) or an ultrasound. Ultimately, suspicious findings unresolved by imaging typically result in the recommendation of a breast biopsy.
About OncoCyte Corporation
OncoCyte is primarily focused on the development and commercialization of novel, non-invasive blood and urine (“liquid biopsy”) diagnostic tests for the early detection of cancer to improve health outcomes through earlier diagnoses, to reduce the cost of care through the avoidance of more costly diagnostic procedures, including invasive biopsy and cystoscopic procedures, and to improve the quality of life for cancer patients.
While current biopsy tests use invasive surgical procedures to provide tissue samples in order to determine if a tumor is benign or malignant, OncoCyte is developing a next generation of diagnostic tests that will be based on liquid biopsies using blood or urine samples. OncoCyte’s pipeline products are intended to be confirmatory diagnostics for lung, bladder and breast cancer. OncoCyte’s diagnostic tests are being developed using proprietary sets of genetic and protein biomarkers that are differentially expressed in specific types of cancer.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as “will,” “believes,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “estimates”) are forward-looking statements. These statements include those pertaining to future financial and/or operating results, future growth in research, technology, clinical development, and potential opportunities for OncoCyte, along with other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential diagnostic tests or products, uncertainty in the results of clinical trials or regulatory approvals, the need and ability to obtain future capital, maintenance of intellectual property rights, and the need to obtain third party reimbursement for patients ’use of any diagnostic tests we commercialize. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the business of OncoCyte, particularly those mentioned in “Risk Factors” found in OncoCyte’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings. OncoCyte disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.