Cynvenio Biosystems has released an updated blood test to monitor breast cancer patients during different stages of treatment.
The ClearID Breast Cancer blood test uses a sequencing panel of 27 genes known to be altered in breast cancer to identify mutations that can be treated with targeted therapies and detect emerging mutations.
“ClearID provides precise insights into disease progression on a molecular level, enabling physicians to closely monitor changes in tumor status and providing patients with peace of mind,” Paul Song, MD, Cynvenio’s chief medical officer, said in a news release. “The ClearID Breast Cancer Test provides clinicians with real-time, actionable information that will transform cancer care from diagnosis and monitoring to choosing targeted therapies and finding the clinical trials most appropriate for each patient.”
The ClearID test uses a combination of DNA from circulating tumor cells (CTC), cell-free DNA (cfDNA), and DNA from healthy cells to understand tumor progression. The DNA of healthy cells is used as a control, so the test has high specificity for genetic alterations in cancer cells.
Test results are presented in a report that provides information about the genetic mutations identified in the patient’s cancer, as well as which mutations can be targeted with drugs. The report also includes information on clinical trials and experimental therapies.
Because it only requires a blood draw, the test is a suitable complement to conventional tissue biopsies and is useful in cases where a tissue biopsy is difficult to collect. Unlike with biopsies, the test can also be repeated several times during the course a therapy, allowing physicians to more easily monitor changes in tumor status.
“We are committed to making ClearID affordable and accessible to all patients,” said André de Fusco, Cynvenio’s chief executive officer. “Today we are also announcing our new ClearBilling program that makes it easy to file for insurance reimbursement. ClearBilling supports our goal of providing responsive and accurate testing that can enable doctors to truly personalize treatment choices for their patients and their families.”