Myriad Genetics, a US-based molecular diagnostic company, has launched a new prognostic test, Myriad myPlan Lung Cancer, for patients diagnosed with early-stage lung adenocarcinoma.
myPlan lung cancer test is an RNA expression panel of 31 cell-cycle-progression genes, in combination with tumor staging information, to determine a patient's risk of dying from lung cancer within five years.
The myPlan lung cancer test has been extensively studied in more than 1,500 patients. In these studies, myPlan lung cancer was shown to be significantly predictive of five-year lung cancer mortality and considerably more predictive than tumor staging information alone.
In a large validation study presented at the IASLC annual meeting, patients with a high-risk myPlan lung cancer score had nearly twice the rate of lung cancer deaths (35%) than patients with a low-risk score (18%).
These findings build on data published in Clinical Cancer Research that showed the myPlan lung cancer test is the strongest independent predictor of survival in patients with early-stage lung cancer as compared to the conventional clinical variables of disease progression including age, stage of disease, gender, smoking status and tumor size.
Myriad Genetics Laboratories president Mark C Capone noted post-surgical treatment decisions for early-stage lung cancer patients are largely guided by tumor staging.
"However, the prognostic power of tumor stage alone is limited and there remain unacceptably high mortality rates for this patient population.
"Myriad myPlan Lung Cancer is a powerful new prognostic test that stratifies patients based on their risk of lung cancer-related, five-year mortality. Our test will empower physicians to know with confidence which patients should receive surgery alone versus those who may need more aggressive therapy," Capone added.
Myriad myPlan lung cancer test is being launched in a phased approach beginning with an early-access, clinical-experience program to medical and scientific thought leaders, followed by a full commercial launch in calendar year 2014.
myPlan lung cancer will be sold through Myriad's own specialty sales force to assist physicians in providing their lung cancer patients with the most appropriate healthcare management. myPlan lung cancer has a list price of $3,400.
Myriad myPlan lung cancer is the second molecular diagnostic test launched by Myriad this fiscal year. In September, the company launched Myriad myRisk hereditary cancer, a new multi-gene diagnostic test for eight major hereditary cancers including breast, colorectal, ovarian, endometrial, pancreatic, prostate, gastric and melanoma.