SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 28, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Myriad Genetics, Inc. (MYGN) announced today that a presentation entitled "CCP Score Significantly Predicts PSA Failure After EBRT," was presented on Wednesday, November 28th, 2012 at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Urological Oncology in Bethesda, Maryland. The study demonstrates that the Prolaris(R) test, which measures cell cycle progression (CCP) genes, significantly predicts PSA biochemical recurrence in patients after treatment with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT).

Researchers at Durham VA Medical Center, Duke University School of Medicine, and Myriad Genetics analyzed biopsy specimens from 152 patients with prostate cancer. In this prospectively collected cohort, the Prolaris test was a significant predictor of biochemical recurrence in patients that had undergone radiation treatment (p=0.0017). After adjustment for Gleason score, PSA percent positive cores, and concurrent anti-hormone therapy, the Prolaris test accurately predicted those patients who would benefit from radiation therapy (p=0.034).

"Current approaches to the management of patients with prostate cancer lead to significant under and overtreatment of patients," said Dr. Stephen Freedland, Durham VA Medical Center and Duke University School of Medicine. "Measurement of the CCP score identifies prostate cancer patients at high risk of progression despite conventional radiation therapy who might be considered for more aggressive treatment regimens."

Approximately 25% of men who undergo primary radiation therapy will suffer potentially life threatening disease recurrence and progression. The Prolaris test could be used to identify these at-risk patients prior to their initial treatment. These patients may be appropriate candidates for more aggressive combination therapies such as radiation with anti-androgen therapy or chemotherapy.

The clinically important information that Prolaris provides cannot be obtained from currently available clinical parameters. In addition, this is the first Prolaris study that contained a significant number of African American men, a population known to be at especially high risk for aggressive prostate cancer.

About Prolaris

Prolaris is a genomic risk stratification test developed to aid physicians in predicting prostate cancer aggressiveness in conjunction with clinical parameters such as Gleason score and PSA. Prolaris is a direct molecular measure of prostate cancer tumor biology. By measuring the expression levels of genes involved with cancer replication, Prolaris is able to more accurately predict disease progression and enable physicians to better define a treatment/monitoring strategy for their patients. Prolaris is significantly more prognostic than currently used clinicopathologic variables and provides unique additional information that can be combined with other clinical factors to make the most accurate prediction of a patient's cancer aggressiveness and therefore disease progression.

Prolaris has been proven to predict clinical progression in 4 different clinical cohorts, in both pre and post-treatment scenarios.

About Myriad Genetics

Myriad Genetics is a leading molecular diagnostic company dedicated to making a difference in patients' lives through the discovery and commercialization of transformative tests to assess a person's risk of developing disease, guide treatment decisions and assess risk of disease progression and recurrence. Myriad's portfolio of molecular diagnostic tests are based on an understanding of the role genes play in human disease and were developed with a commitment to improving an individual's decision making process for monitoring and treating disease. Myriad is focused on strategic directives to introduce new products, including companion diagnostics, as well as expanding internationally. For more information on how Myriad is making a difference, please visit the Company's website: http://www.myriad.com.

The rest is here:
Myriad Genetics' Prolaris Test Predicts Biochemical Recurrence in Prostate Cancer Patients Following Radiation Therapy

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