We are developing Signal-X™, a multi-cancer platform able to detect various types of high-burden cancers with high sensitivity and tissue-of-origin specificity.
More than 1.9 million new colorectal cancer cases and 935,000 deaths were estimated in 2020. CRC is the 3rd most commonly diagnosed malignancy and 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths for men and women in the U.S. By 2030, its burden is expected to increase by 60% to more than 2.2 million new cases and 1.1 million deaths.
To address the increase in early-onset colorectal cancer cases, both the American Cancer Society and U.S. Preventive Services Task Force have lowered the recommended age for screening individuals at average risk of CRC, from 50 to 45.
Our first blood test, Signal-C, accurately detects colorectal cancer with a sensitivity of 92% and specificity of 97% (abstract presented at ASCO 2021). Signal-C is also focused on detecting Advanced Adenoma; our first experiments show a sensitivity of 52% and a specificity of 90% (abstract presented at EACR 2021).
Pancreatic cancer accounts for nearly as many deaths (466,000) as cases (496,000) as a result of poor early-stage detection. It is the 7th leading cause of cancer deaths for men and women.
With approximately 906,000 new cases and 830,000 deaths, primary liver cancer is the 6th most commonly diagnosed cancer and 3rd leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide.
Gastric/stomach cancer is responsible for more than 1 million new cases and an estimated 769,000 deaths. Gastric cancer represents the 5th most commonly diagnosed cancer and is the 4th leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide.
We are applying our multi-omics + computational biology + machine learning approach to capture cancer’s signal for high-burden gastrointestinal cancers, including pancreatic (Signal-P™), liver (Signal-L™), and gastric/stomach (Signal-G™). We presented proof of concept studies for various cancers with high accuracy, including for early stages (abstract presented at ESMO 2020).