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First Breast-Cancer Blood Test in Studies

Posted on: Friday, 3 March 2006, 18:00 CST

Biomarker Technologies said Friday it has begun a study of its first-of-a-kind BT blood test to detect breast cancer.

The company said previous trials of the test show it significantly exceeds the accuracy of mammograms.

The four-month study -- to begin in early March -- will test subjects' blood for a number of cancer-related biomarkers, or specific proteins that are at levels measurably different in patients with breast cancer, the firm said.

We expect the results of this clinical study to demonstrate an even higher level of accuracy than either film or digital mammography, said William Gartner, chief executive officer and president of Biomarker Technologies.

With this greatly improved diagnostic accuracy, the BT Test will ultimately become a critical tool in detecting breast cancer without the discomfort and inconvenience of a mammogram, he said.

The company said it has enrolled in the study 430 women referred for biopsy, 125 women referred for other types of cancer and 300 healthy subjects.

This clinical study will move the BT Test forward in its FDA approval as first a supplementary and then a stand-alone screening tool for early breast cancer detection, said Gartner. With fewer false negative and false positive diagnoses, this cost-effective blood test may not only offer vastly superior early-detection capabilities in routine examinations, but may also help patients avoid unnecessary needle biopsies, he said.

Biomarker said that early detection of breast cancer leads to a 97-percent, five-year survival rate.

Source: United Press International

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