New Studies of Prostate Cancer Blood Test

Two studies are being planned that will examine the use of a protein pattern recognition system for use in diagnosing prostate cancer and for use in distinguishing between indolent and aggressive disease. The goal is to develop a more-effective blood test for the detection of prostate cancer.

A protein pattern recognition system called ProteomeDx has been developed by Correlogic Systems, Inc. (Bethesda, MD, USA) for detecting prostate cancer. The company is collaborating on the two studies with the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU, also in Bethesda), the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (Rockville, MD, USA), and the Center for Prostate Disease Research, a program of the department of surgery at USU and the Foundation. The USU is a fully accredited federal school of medicine, operated by the U.S. Department of Defense. The Henry M. Jackson Foundation is a not-for-profit organization authorized by the U.S. Congress to support military education and research at USU and throughout the military medical community.

The first study will involve up to 2,000 men with specified prostate cancer conditions. The second study will focus on men undergoing radical prostatectomy to determine if Correlogic's approach and technology can be extended to distinguish between aggressive and indolent disease. Currently there is no effective prospective test for determining the aggressiveness of prostate cancer in most men. Correlogic also developed the OvaCheck blood test for the early detection of ovarian cancer, which is in the final stages of an extensive validation process.

"The determination of aggressive versus indolent prostate cancer means the difference between life and death, and necessary versus unnecessary treatment,” observed Peter J. Levine, president and CEO of Correlogic Systems.




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