SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Biocept, Inc., a CLIA-certified laboratory testing company focused on oncology diagnostics, specifically the detection and analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in cancer patients, announced that with collaborators from Columbia University Medical Center and the MD Anderson Cancer Center, it will present three (3) posters at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) being held in Chicago June 1 - June 5. One of the posters will be the subject of a discussion session.
The posters discuss studies looking at how CTCs and DTCs (Disseminated Tumor Cells, found in bone marrow) mirror and differ from the primary tumor and metastases in individual cancer patients. A poster being presented on June 2nd will emphasize that the estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) profiles of CTCs more closely match those of the metastases rather than the primary tumor in the cohort of breast cancer patients examined. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) offer an attractive alternative source of tumor material for determining the ER/PR status of a patient, and can be readily monitored, enabling the physician to select a more appropriately designed course of treatment for individual patients. On June 4th, a poster will be presented that highlights the discrepancies between HER2 results on CTCs and DTCs vs. primary tumor tissue analysis in early stage breast cancer patients. The data suggest that current testing of tumor tissue alone may be missing patients that could potentially benefit from HER2-targeted agents such as Herceptin. On June 5th, a poster will be presented and discussed that concludes mutational analysis of CTCs in mestastatic breast cancer patients can be accomplished by deep sequencing, and that there are differences in the mutational profile between CTCs and primary and metastatic tumors. This study will help provide the foundation for clinical tests based on sequencing CTCs.
Biocept’s first test, OncoCEE-BRTM for breast cancer, is available through its commercialization partner Clarient, Inc., a GE Healthcare Company. The test includes CTC enumeration and determination of HER2 status by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) from a blood sample. Determination of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status by immunocytochemical staining will be added to the test later this year and early next year, respectively. OncoCEE-BR is the first commercially available CTC test to include analysis of a specific, treatment-associated biomarker (HER2).
The schedule for Biocept’s presentations is:
| 1. Date and Time: Saturday June 2; 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM |
| Location: S Hall A2 |
| Abstract Number: 584 |
| Title: Immunocytochemistry staining for ER and PR in circulating tumor cells as compared to primary tumor or metastatic biopsy. |
| Collaborators: Columbia University Medical Center |
| 2. Date and Time: Monday June 4; 1:15 PM to 5:15 PM |
| Location: S Hall A2 |
| Abstract Number: TPS10631 |
| Title: Detection of discordant HER2 status by FISH in circulating tumor cells and disseminated tumor cells in early-stage breast cancer using a microfluidic-based cell enrichment and extraction platform (OncoCEETM). |
| Collaborators: MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 3. Date and Time: Tuesday June 5; 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM |
| Location: S 102 |
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Discussion: Tuesday June 5; 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM in S100a |
| Abstract Number: 10516 |
| Title: Mutational analysis of circulating tumor cells in breast cancer patients by targeted clonal sequencing. |
| Collaborators: Columbia University Medical Center |
About Biocept, Inc.
Biocept, Inc., headquartered in San Diego, California, is an advanced laboratory services company specializing in the capture, isolation, detection and analysis of Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs). Biocept’s mission is to enhance the lives of cancer patients through the development of innovative diagnostic products and services. Biocept utilizes patented and innovative technologies to deliver clinically relevant and actionable information to physicians that enable better patient care. This includes clinical assessments of CTCs, both prognostic and predictive, which may provide physicians with important information for the treatment of their patients with cancer.