Genomic Health Launches Smartphone Application to Improve Access to Important Treatment Information for Newly Diagnosed Breast and Colon Cancer Patients

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Genomic Health, Inc., (Nasdaq: GHDX) today launched a smartphone application designed to help people who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer or colon cancer to better access and manage information important for their personalized treatment plan. The application was developed in partnership with Breastcancer.org and Fight Colorectal Cancer, creating a natural extension of the original My Breast Cancer Coach and My Colon Cancer Coach online tools to empower patients to make better informed decisions about their treatment based on accurate, accessible and personalized medical information about their cancer.

The application, called the Cancer Coach, features a calendar to mark medical appointments, important questions for the doctor, audio notepad function that records additional questions and responses, glossary, and a journal to keep track of key information shared during physician visits throughout diagnosis and treatment.

"More and more women are seeking information about breast cancer, not just online, but using their mobile devices. The Cancer Coach app fulfills this need for reliable resources on-the-go as patients and their personal support networks navigate a new diagnosis," said Hope Wohl, CEO of Breastcancer.org. "Our partnership with Genomic Health on My Breast Cancer Coach and the Cancer Coach app supports our mission to help breast cancer patients and their loved ones make sense of complex medical information so they can make the most informed decisions."

The Cancer Coach app walks patients through a simple questionnaire with audio guidance for breast cancer by Lillie Shockney, RN, Administrative Director of the Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center and for colon cancer by Richard M. Goldberg, MD, Professor and Physician-in-Chief of the James Cancer Hospital and Associate Director of the James Cancer Center at the Ohio State University. Based on a patient's responses, the Cancer Coach creates a customized treatment information guide that can be shared with their physician as they discuss treatment options. The Cancer Coach app is available on Apple iTunes and in the Android Market and features additional resources for breast and colon cancer, as well as a RSS news feed unique to newly diagnosed breast cancer or colon cancer patients.

"We believe that as the biology of cancer becomes better defined it is critical that every woman begin to take a more informed and active role in her treatment plan," said Randy Scott, founder and executive chairman of the board, Genomic Health.  "The Cancer Coach app allows patients to store and access high quality personalized information right at their fingertips so that it is readily available as they decide with their healthcare team how best to proceed with treatment."

Carlea Bauman, president of Fight Colorectal Cancer, believes colon cancer patients and their caretakers will find the Cancer Coach app to be extremely helpful as they are able to take the resources of My Colon Cancer Coach with them into the doctor's office, and use the key features of a smart phone to help manage all the information shared during health care visits. "The app is an effective tool for patients to have in hand, especially when they meet with their doctor. It gives them information unique to their diagnosis that can really make a difference in the discussion about treatment," she said.

The personalized treatment information guides provided by My Breast Cancer Coach and My Colon Cancer Coach online tools and the Cancer Coach app were developed in accordance with National Cancer Cooperative Network® (NCCN®) clinical treatment guidelines. (1)

The Cancer Coach app is available for iPhone® and for Android®. It can also be downloaded from My Breast Cancer Coach and My Colon Cancer Coach, or by visiting the Apple® store or Android Market on a mobile device and searching for "Cancer Coach." (2)

About Genomic Health and the Oncotype DX® Tests

Genomic Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: GHDX) is a molecular diagnostics company focused on the global development and commercialization of genomic-based clinical laboratory services that analyze the underlying biology of cancer allowing physicians and patients to make individualized treatment decisions.

Its lead product, the Oncotype DX Breast Cancer test, has been shown to predict the likelihood of chemotherapy benefit as well as recurrence in early-stage breast cancer to help optimize treatment options. Oncotype DX is the only test incorporated in published ASCO® and NCCN® breast cancer treatment guidelines for patients with node-negative breast cancer that is estrogen-receptor positive and/or progesterone-receptor positive. The test is also recognized in international guidelines issued by St. Gallen International Breast Cancer Expert Panel and European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO).

Physicians also use the Oncotype DX Breast Cancer test to make treatment recommendations for certain node-positive breast cancer patients.

Oncotype DX has been extensively evaluated in thirteen clinical studies involving more than 4,000 breast cancer patients worldwide, including a large validation study published in The New England Journal of Medicine and a chemotherapy benefit study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. 

The Oncotype DX Colon Cancer test is the first multigene expression test commercially available that has been clinically validated to predict risk of recurrence in patients with stage II colon cancer. Genomic Health collaborated with the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project and Cleveland Clinic on a total of four development studies in more than 1,800 to analyze patients with stage II colon cancer.  The final gene panel was then independently evaluated in more than 1,400 stage II colon cancer patients in the QUASAR validation study. 

As of June 30, 2011, more than 10,000 physicians in over 60 countries had ordered more than 200,000 Oncotype DX breast and colon cancer tests.  Genomic Health has a robust pipeline focused on developing tests to optimize the treatment of prostate and renal cell cancers, as well as additional stages of breast and colon cancers.  The company is based in Redwood City, California with European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.  For more information, please visit www.genomichealth.com.  To learn more about Oncotype DX tests, visit: www.oncotypedx.com and www.untileverywomanknows.com.

About Fight Colorectal Cancer 

Fight Colorectal Cancer demands a cure for colon and rectal cancer. We educate and support patients, push for changes in policy that will increase and improve research, and empower survivors to raise their voices against the status quo.

About Breastcancer.org

Breastcancer.org (http://www.breastcancer.org) offers comprehensive, easy to understand information about breast cancer, as well as online discussion boards and chat rooms in the "Community Knowledge" section of its Web site.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to the attributes and focus of the company's product pipeline, the ability of the company to develop additional tests in the future, and the ability of any potential tests the company may develop to optimize cancer treatment. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the risks and uncertainties associated with the regulation of the company's tests;  the results of clinical studies; the applicability of clinical study results to actual outcomes; our ability to develop and commercialize new tests; unanticipated costs or delays in research and development efforts; our ability to obtain capital when needed and the other risks set forth in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the risks set forth in the company's Quarterly  Report  on Form 10-Q  for the period ended June 30, 2011. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Genomic Health disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

(1) NCCN, ASCO, and NCCN are registered trademarks of the National Cancer Cooperative Network (NCCN), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), respectively.  ASCO, NCCN and NCCN do not endorse any product or therapy.

(2) iPhone, Apple, and Android are registered trademarks of Apple, Inc., and Google, Inc., respectively.

SOURCE Genomic Health, Inc.