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New website empowers colorectal cancer patients when discussing critical treatment decisions - DiagnoCure launches www.mypersonalcancerdiagnosis.com

Posted on: Wednesday, 11 March 2009, 05:30 CDT

WEST CHESTER, PA, March 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - DiagnoCure Oncology Laboratories, the developer and provider of the Previstage(TM) GCC Colorectal Cancer Staging Test, launches an interactive website dedicated to colorectal cancer patients, their families and friends. www.mypersonalcancerdiagnosis.com provides key information to foster understanding of and access to the most advanced genomic technologies for managing colorectal cancer. These new and more reliable technologies allow for diagnostics that are significantly more precise and which can contribute to increasing patients' and physicians' confidence in making the best treatment decisions possible.

This new website is an important piece of DiagnoCure's awareness program for its new Previstage(TM) GCC Colorectal Cancer Staging Test, an exclusive laboratory-developed test launched last year. The test provides more accurate information to establish the clinical stage of a patient's colorectal cancer, or in other words, it helps answer the question "has my cancer spread?" It does so by detecting the presence or absence of the GCC marker in the lymph nodes that have been removed during the colorectal cancer surgery. A major study recently published in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Medical Association validated the clinical use of the GCC (or GUCY2C) marker for the identification of patients who have metastatic colorectal cancer and for predicting risk of disease recurrence.

www.mypersonalcancerdiagnosis.com stresses the importance of a more accurate assessment of risk of recurrence of colorectal cancer to make the best treatment decisions possible. "With advanced technologies such as DiagnoCure's test, patients can rely on personalized clinical information to manage their cancer. In that regard, Previstage(TM) GCC represents a major step forward for colorectal cancer patients, and the Colon Cancer Alliance fully supports DiagnoCure Oncology Laboratories' new online initiative to increase patients' awareness about these new technologies", stated Andrew Spiegel, Chief Executive Officer of the Colon Cancer Alliance ("CCA"), which contributed to the content of www.mypersonalcancerdiagnosis.com website.

Today, patients are more educated and a lot more interested in understanding their disease and taking part in the treatment decisions that affect their lives. According to a study from the National Cancer Institute, 48% of patients consult the Internet to seek cancer information. The Internet is now considered a valuable source of medical information. It is indeed the second preferred source of cancer information after the patient's healthcare provider. Moreover, recent studies also support the fact that information empowers cancer patients to be more confident and to ask more informed questions, which can improve the relation with their physicians as well as compliance with their treatment.

"The mypersonalcancerdiagnosis website provides accurate and easy to understand information for colorectal cancer patients. The clinical potential of the new genomic technologies is huge and exciting and DiagnoCure is committed to make them available to patients and physicians. In the past year, we have worked on educating the healthcare providers about our new test; this year, we are also focussing on patients, who are the first ones to benefit from the potential of these innovations", concluded John Schafer, President and CEO of DiagnoCure.

About Previstage(TM) GCC Colorectal Cancer Staging Test

Previstage(TM) GCC Colorectal Cancer Staging Test is the first test that can molecularly assess the presence or absence of colorectal cancer cells in the lymph nodes removed during the surgery. The test is a laboratory-developed proprietary assay that detects in lymph nodes the expression or absence of expression of the GCC marker, normally found exclusively in colon cells, both normal and cancerous. When GCC is expressed in the lymph nodes, it is an indication of the presence of colorectal cancer metastases, and hence an indication of higher risk of disease recurrence. Knowing the lymph nodes status can help physicians and patients make optimal treatment decisions. The test was launched in 2008 and is exclusively performed by DiagnoCure Oncology Laboratories, a CLIA-certified service laboratory, located in West Chester, Pennsylvania. A major study published in the February 18, 2009, edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association demonstrated that GCC is the strongest independent predictor of colorectal cancer recurrence in patients considered low risk by current assessment methods.

About DiagnoCure

DiagnoCure (TSX: CUR) is a life sciences company commercializing high-value cancer diagnostic tests and delivering laboratory services that increase clinician and patient confidence in making critical treatment decisions. DiagnoCure Oncology Laboratories, a subsidiary of DiagnoCure Inc., launched in 2008 the Previstage(TM) GCC Colorectal Cancer Staging Test, the first GCC-based molecular test for the management of colorectal cancer. A major study published in the February 18, 2009, edition of the JAMA ("Journal of the American Medical Association") demonstrated that GCC, to which DiagnoCure secured exclusive worldwide diagnostic rights, is the strongest independent predictor of colorectal cancer recurrence. The Company also has a strategic alliance with Gen-Probe (NASDAQ: GPRO) for the development and commercialization of a second-generation prostate cancer test using PCA3, DiagnoCure's proprietary molecular marker. This test is also available through laboratories in the U.S. using PCA3 analyte specific reagents (ASR) from Gen-Probe, in Europe as the CE-marked PROGENSA(TM) PCA3 in vitro assay, and in Canada. In addition to its own research, the Company intends to acquire or in-license additional promising cancer biomarkers from both academic and commercial institutions. For more information, visit www.diagnocure.com.

About Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA)

The Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA) is a national non-profit patient advocacy organization dedicated to ending the suffering caused by colorectal cancer. In order to increase rates of screening and survivorship, the CCA provides patient support services, public education and awareness campaigns, supports research and colorectal cancer related advocacy across the United States.

The CCA works as an advocate for colorectal cancer patients and their families and offers information and support from the first-hand experience of survivors and others whose lives have been touched by this disease.

Today, including on line communities, the CCA has over 50,000 members. Its toll free help line receives an average of 700 calls monthly, and its support networks have assisted hundreds of thousands of people. The organization has multiple local chapters, a large on line support community, live peer-to-peer assistance and multiple other support and awareness programs, including the Undy5000 5k walk/runs throughout the county. For more information visit the CCA's website at www.ccalliance.org or call 202-434-8980.

Forward-looking statements

This release contains forward-looking statements that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expected. By their very nature, forward-looking statements are based on expectations and hypotheses and also involve risks and uncertainties, known and unknown, many of which are beyond DiagnoCure's control. As a result, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements regarding the outcome of research and development projects, clinical studies and future revenues are based on management expectations. In addition, the reader is referred to the applicable general risks and uncertainties described in DiagnoCure's most recent Annual Information Form under the heading "Risk Factors". DiagnoCure undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein.

SOURCE DiagnoCure Inc.

Source: PR Newswire

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