Invitae Corporation issued the following announcement on May 3.
Researchers from Invitae (NYSE: NVTA), a leading genetics company, will present a study of more than 6,500 patients with uterine cancer showing that genetic testing provided more than 80 percent of patients with information that made them eligible for precision medicine therapies. The study also highlighted the importance of multigene panel testing versus traditional, limited approaches and was presented this week at the 2019 American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting.
"Genetic testing for uterine carcinoma has traditionally been limited to a very targeted number of genes that have an association with uterine cancer," said Robert Nussbaum, M.D., chief medical officer of Invitae and one of the authors of the study. "This study revealed that such limited testing misses other cancer genes that are actionable for the prevention, early detection, and treatment of malignancies. Today's multigene panels are affordable and identify these genes at no additional cost, so that patients and their care teams have the complete genetic information they need to develop a personalized path forward. This study also illustrates what we have long championed: the importance of expanding the use of comprehensive genetic testing to all cancer patients who can benefit from it."
According to the study, multigene cancer panel testing identifies clinically actionable pathogenic or likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants that would have otherwise been missed by traditional, targeted genetic testing for uterine cancer. Researchers compared diagnostic yield and clinical actionability in 6,582 patients with uterine cancer using a comprehensive genetic testing panel strategy. The data identified clinically actionable P/LP variants in 15% of the patients. Of these patients, 39% had a P/LP variant in genes other than those typically associated with uterine carcinoma. Among those with a P/LP variant, 32% were eligible for clinical treatment trials, 52% qualified for FDA-approved therapies, and more than 90% had newfound guideline management recommendations.
Invitae offers high-quality and affordable genetic testing for all stages of a woman's life. From planning for a family and a healthy pregnancy to understanding risks for hereditary cancers such as breast, ovarian and uterine cancer, Invitae believes that every woman can benefit from genetic testing.
Original source can be found here.
