RUTHERFORD, N.J., Nov. 12, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cancer Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq:CGIX) ("CGI" or "the Company"), an emerging leader in DNA-based cancer diagnostics, announced today that it will present on its next generation sequencing (NGS) panels for hematological malignancies at the Association for Molecular Pathology's (AMP) 2014 Annual Meeting in Harbor, MD. Principal clinical scientist Charles Ma, Ph.D., will present "Developing NGS-based Clinical Assays for Hematological Neoplasms at CGI" on Wednesday, November 12 at 3 p.m. EST. The talk, which is sponsored by Illumina, will cover the development and clinical utility of the company's NGS panels for hematologic malignancies, specifically for CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia) and Myeloid disorders.
Cancer Genetics currently has several targeted, disease-specific NGS panels under development, and expects to launch its Focus::TM NGS line for clinical use by the end of 2014. The company's NGS panels for hematological malignancies will include Focus::CLLTM for chronic lymphocytic leukemia and Focus::MyeloidTM, which will have application for several myeloid diseases including myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). It is estimated that in the US, nearly 100,000 individuals are currently living with MDS, and another 120,000 are living with CLL.
Tumor heterogeneity and test sensitivity remain major challenges in cancer diagnostics, and are particularly problematic in hematological cancers. NGS allows for higher sensitivity and throughput than other diagnostic technologies, and can assess a greater number of mutations and other genomic aberrations at greater resolution. As a result, NGS provides simultaneous detection of mutations in a number of critical genes with a single test. When used in conjunction with other validated clinical tests, these panels provide tremendous value for diagnostic and prognostic purposes.
"We believe that our NGS panel development reinforces our position as a leader in providing high-standard diagnostic testing for hematological malignancies," said Lan Wang, M.D., Medical Director at Cancer Genetics. "Because we can offer a variety of complementary testing services including cytogenetics, FISH, microarray, PCR/sequencing, flow cytometry, and immunohistochemistry in addition to NGS through our labs at CGI, we'll be able to provide patients and doctors with comprehensive evaluation for these cancers, and clinically actionable diagnostic and prognostic information."
Due to the improvement in sensitivity and throughput over other diagnostic tools, NGS is experiencing increasing demand within clinical diagnostics. In order to successfully translate NGS into the clinical setting, CGI has developed an efficient workflow based on Illumina technology that ensures high standards of accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity, while simultaneously meeting the rigorous needs for regulatory requirements, cost-efficiency, and rapid turnaround times.
The company will integrate Focus::TM NGS testing into its CompleteSM testing programs, which are currently available for a number of hematological and solid tumor cancers. CGI's CompleteSM programs provide a suite of proprietary and conventional testing across multiple methodologies, and offer the most comprehensive diagnostic and prognostic information available.
Representatives from the company will be exhibiting at the conference at booth #1129.
About Cancer Genetics, Inc.
Cancer Genetics Inc. is an emerging leader in DNA-based cancer diagnostics, servicing some of the most prestigious medical institutions in the world. Our tests target cancers that are difficult to diagnose and predict treatment outcomes. These cancers include hematological, urogenital and HPV-associated cancers. We also offer a comprehensive range of non-proprietary oncology-focused tests and laboratory services that provide critical genomic information to healthcare professionals, as well as biopharma and biotech companies. Our state-of-the-art reference labs are focused entirely on maintaining clinical excellence and are both CLIA certified and CAP accredited and have licensure from several states including New York State.
We have established strong research collaborations with major cancer centers such as Memorial Sloan-Kettering, The Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic and the National Cancer Institute.
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