Professor Andreas Stallmach, Department of Internal Medicine II, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Disease, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Germany Selects WavSTAT(R) Optical Biopsy System for Early Cancer Detection
SAN DIEGO, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SpectraScience, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: SCIE), a San Diego based medical device company, announced today that Dr. Andreas Stallmach, Department of Internal Medicine II, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Disease, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Germany has selected the WavSTAT Optical Biopsy System for early detection of pre-cancers and cancers during colonoscopy procedures.
Professor Stallmach said, "Colon cancer is one of the most frequent malignant disorders these days, and, especially in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), surveillance strategies are of major importance. A reliable identification of precancerous lesions is one the most important challenges in GI endoscopy because early detection and treatment are the most effective measures to prevent advanced cancer. In IBD patients the differentiation between pre-malignant and inflammatory lesions can be difficult; therefore, we are looking forward to using the WavSTAT optical biopsy system in these patients."
SpectraScience VP for Sales and Marketing, Michel Vaudry, said, "The WavSTAT can provide physicians, who otherwise rely on the naked eye and experience, with a much more objective cancer screening tool that will increase their success rate, saving more lives and reducing healthcare costs overall. When the WavSTAT is used in the colon for IBD (which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis), the number of physical biopsies can be reduced from about 60 to only a few. Thus reducing risk and procedure time from more than an hour to 20 minutes with less sedation and a better chance to find neoplasia. At the same time, the number of Optical biopsies performed to find pre-cancerous tissues is for the most part unlimited. More than a million people have IBD in the EU."
Using the principle of Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF), diseased or cancerous tissue fluoresces differently compared to normal healthy tissue. Diseased tissue has reduced fluorophors which, when analyzed by a specialized detector, can indicate with high sensitivity that the cells are becoming dysplastic, a precursor to cancer. During colonoscopy, a small fiber-optic probe is directed by the clinician to touch the suspicious tissue. Depressing a foot switch directs low powered, safe laser light into the tissue. The laser shuts off and the tissue fluorescence light is directed back up the same fiber optic probe to a specialized detector. The system's computer analyzes the detector's output and, within seconds, displays a RED or GREEN light on a screen. A GREEN light means the tissue is "normal" with 96% sensitivity. Where a flat polyp is suspect, multiple uses of the optical fiber and the RED light may assist the clinician in determining the margin of the "suspect" tissue and remove all of it in the same procedure.
SpectraScience holds approximately 60 patents worldwide that have been issued or are pending on its WavSTAT® Optical Biopsy System and LUMA® Cervical Imaging Systems. These devices are used to quickly assess tissue to help determine if it is normal, pre-cancerous, or cancerous. The WavSTAT and LUMA Systems are approved by the FDA for detecting pre-cancerous and cancerous tissue in the colon and cervix, respectively. An evaluation of the WavSTAT for detection of pre-cancers in the throat ("Barrett's esophagus") is currently underway.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause SpectraScience's actual results to differ materially from results discussed in forward-looking statements. Readers are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made by SpectraScience in this news release, it's most recent Form 10-K and in SpectraScience's other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") that attempt to advise interested parties of the risks and factors that may affect SpectraScience's business. These forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by the cautions and risk factors filed by SpectraScience in its annual report on Form 10-K and other documents.
About SpectraScience, Inc.
SpectraScience is a San Diego based medical device company that designs, develops, manufactures and markets spectrophotometry systems capable of determining whether tissue is normal, pre-cancerous or cancerous, without physically removing tissue from the body. The WavSTAT Optical Biopsy System uses light to optically scan tissue and provide the physician with an immediate analysis. With FDA approval for sale in the U.S. and the CE Mark for the European Union, the WavSTAT System is the first commercially available product that incorporates this innovative technology for clinical use. The Company's LUMA imaging technology has received FDA approval for a non-invasive optical system that is proven to more effectively detect cervical cancer precursors than conventional methods available in the market today.
About Friedrich Schiller University of Jena
Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Germany is a public research university located in Jena, Thuringia, Germany. The University was established in 1558 and counts among the ten oldest Universities in Germany.
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Jim Hitchin, Chief Executive Officer |
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SOURCE SpectraScience, Inc.
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