Pelikapuntzak schreef op 16 april 2014 21:43:
Biomarkers provide actionable guidance on risk assessment, treatment decisions
Publish date: MAR 19, 2014 Print
By: Wayne Kuznar
Deciding when to re-biopsy
E. David Crawford, MD
Dr. Crawford
Determining whom to re-biopsy is the indication for which prostate cancer biomarkers “have the most use right now,” he said. Of the 1.2 million prostate biopsies done annually in the United States, about 80% are negative, he noted.
“There’s a need for a test to help us determine who needs to be re-biopsied and who doesn't,” he said. “The one that's getting a lot of attention right now, and rightfully so, is the ConfirmMDx test [MDx Health, Irvine, CA].” It extends the coverage of a biopsy by detecting changes that occur in cells around the cancer from methylation of DNA.
“The test is powered for a negative predictive value, so that if it comes back negative, you have 90+% confidence that no cancer is present,” as determined in a study known as MATLOC (J Urol 2013; 189:1110-6), said Dr. Crawford.
The actionable guidance provided by ConfirmMDx is also cost-effective, he said. When the test was implemented solely on negative biopsies in a managed care plan of 1 million men, the number of repeat biopsies avoided was calculated to save the plan more than $500 per patient (American Health & Drug Benefits 2013; 6:15-24).
- See more at:
urologytimes.modernmedicine.com/urolo...,3#sthash.VMmePApw.dpuf