• Researchers will present validation study of more than 1,100 patients.
• Test can be done conveniently with a stool sample.
• Early testing showed high specificity and sensitivity.
PHILADELPHIA — Results from a validation study of a new DNA methylation screening tool for colorectal cancer will be presented at the American Association for Cancer Research special conference on Colorectal Cancer: Biology to Therapy, held here Oct. 27-30, 2010.
David Ahlquist, M.D., professor of medicine and a consultant in gastroenterology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., will present the results during a press conference on Oct. 28 at 1:00 p.m. ET in the Adams Room of the Loews Hotel in Philadelphia.
Reporters who cannot attend in person can participate using the following information:
Dial-in (U.S. and Canada): (888) 282-7404
Dial-in (International): (706) 679-5207
Access Code: 18304706
“Methylation markers in DNA when analyzed in the proper manner can produce high detection rates for both cancer and pre-cancerous polyps,” said Ahlquist.
The test is under development by Exact Sciences, a molecular diagnostics company based in Madison, Wis. Because the company is publicly traded on the NASDAQ, the American Association for Cancer Research is withholding additional details about the data until the press conference on Oct. 28.
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The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, the AACR is the world’s oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes 32,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 90 other countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants, research fellowships and career development awards. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 18,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. The AACR publishes six major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention; and Cancer Prevention Research. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists, providing a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.
Media Contact:
Jeremy Moore
(267) 646-0557
Loews Hotel, Phila., Oct. 27-30:
(267) 256-7172
