NanoString Technologies' Prosigna Prognostic Assay Accuracy Confirmed
By Liisa Vexler
A study published online in Clinical Cancer Research demonstrated that the PAM50 assay from NanoString Technologies (NASDAQ: NSTG) can accurately assess the risk of late distant recurrence of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Researchers from the Austrian Breast & Colorectal Cancer Study, including principal author Michael Gnant of the Medical University of Vienna, conducted the study published as, “The PAM50 Risk-of-Recurrence Score Predicts Risk for Late Distant Recurrence after Endocrine Therapy in Postmenopausal Women with Endocrine-Responsive Early Breast Cancer.”
NanoString Technologies’ Prosigna™ Breast Cancer Prognostic Gene Signature Assay is based on the Pam50 assay, which study authors found significantly increased prognostic accuracy when compared to the use of clinical factors alone as a prognostic tool.
In the period between years five and 15 after diagnosis, in a group of patients who had not had a recurrence at five years post-diagnosis, those who were classified as low risk by the Prosigna Prognostic Assay showed a risk of late distant recurrence of 2.4 percent. Those who were classified as high risk showed a risk of recurrence of 17.5 percent. The accuracy of the assessment of risk was independent of node involvement in the initial diagnosis. The ability to predict late recurrences may help identify those in this group of patients who may not require adjuvant therapy.
NanoString Technologies provides tools for translational research and molecular diagnostics in the life sciences. The Prosigna Prognostic Assay operates on NanoString's proprietary nCounter® Dx Analysis System, offering a cost-effective and practical way to profile numerous genes simultaneously without sacrificing sensitivity and specificity.
The Prosigna Assay is not intended for diagnosis, to predict or detect response to therapy, or to help select the optimal therapy for patients.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/study-confirms-ability-prosigna-assay-123259076.html