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GAITHERSBURG, Md., Aug. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Oncor, Inc. (AMEX: ONC)
announced today that investigators at The Johns Hopkins School of
Medicine, using a recently developed molecular test, have detected
genetic mutations specific to cancer in blood samples of patients with
head and neck cancer. Their findings are reported in the September issue
of Nature Medicine, released today. "Although quite preliminary, these
findings are interesting, because the presence of DNA alterations in the
blood appears to be associated with large, advanced tumors and with
cancer that has spread," says lead author David Sidransky, M.D.,
associate professor of otolaryngology/head and neck surgery, and
oncology. Sidransky cautions that the test does not appear useful as a
screening test for cancer. "But it might be helpful in patient
management, in identifying patients with a very poor prognosis who may
benefit from aggressive therapy," he says. Examining disease outcomes,
the researchers found that 4 out of the 6 patients with positive test
results subsequently died of their cancer, compared to only 3 of 15 with
negative test results. The three patients who developed distant
metastases (disseminated cancer) were in the positive test group,
further indicating that poor outcome may be associated with the presence
of serum DNA alterations. These results must be confirmed in much larger
clinical trials, Sidransky says. Stephen Turner, Oncor's Chairman and
CEO, said, "A critical problem in cancer patient management today is
knowing the true state of the disease. This preliminary finding presents
a potential breakthrough for the management of cancer which could be far
more cost effective than today's technology. Blood DNA testing could
potentially be for cancer management what viral load testing is becoming
to the management of AIDS." Oncor holds a first option to an exclusive,
worldwide royalty-bearing license for new technology discovered in Dr.
Sidransky's laboratory in the course of performing research programs in
lung, bladder, head and neck, and other cancers. The technique used in
this study is the same as that developed by Sidransky's team to detect
bladder cancer cells in urine. The test uses a series of DNA markers to
seek out genetic mutations specific to each patient's cancer. "We
decided to test serum samples based on evidence from scientists two
decades ago which pointed to increased levels of serum DNA in cancer
patients," Sidransky said. "More recent studies suggest that cancer
cells circulated in the blood may die and release DNA, which is carried
through the bloodstream by plasma." In an accompanying study in Nature
Magazine, a team from Switzerland (also co-authors of the Hopkins study)
found genetic alterations in the blood plasma of over 70 percent of
patients with small cell lung cancer. The authors speculate that the
higher presence of alterations may be indicative of a high propensity of
this cancer to spread. Oncor, Inc. (http://www.oncor.com) develops,
manufactures and markets gene-based test systems and related products
for use in the detection and management of cancer and other human
disease. This press release contains statements of a forward-looking
nature regarding future events. These statements are only predictions
and actual events may differ materially. Please refer to documents that
Oncor, Inc. files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange
Commission for a discussion of certain factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking
statements. SOURCE Oncor, Inc. CO: Oncor, Inc. ST: Maryland IN: HEA MTC
SU:
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