Two New Studies Show Decipher Genomic Prostate Cancer Test Charts Best Course of Treatment and Influences Patient Outcomes

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- GenomeDx Biosciences today announced data from two new studies presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting demonstrate the ability of its Decipher® Prostate Cancer Classifier, a genomic test capable of predicting aggressiveness of prostate cancer, to influence treatment decisions and improve patient outcomes for prostate cancer patients following surgery.

These presentations follow a recently published study that demonstrates how Decipher test results can help physicians select the best course of treatment for a specific patient and improve outcomes. Data published in the August 2014 issue of International Journal of Radiation Oncology showed that patients with a high Decipher score who received radiation treatment soon after surgery had improved survival times compared to those who did not. The investigators also found that patients treated after surgery with radiation maintained low PSA levels for twice as long as others.

"Decipher provides an immediate and direct measure of metastatic potential, which can be exploited to better identify patients most at risk for failure after surgery," said Elai Davicioni PhD, president and chief scientific officer at GenomeDx. "Decipher results can help low risk patients avoid the unnecessary burden and harms of radiation therapy, while ensuring that high risk patients get the adjuvant therapy they need to achieve cure."

Data presented today at ASTRO by Paul Nguyen, M.D., of Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School found that Decipher test results led to an increase in agreement in treatment recommendations among 26 radiation oncologists and 20 urologists – two disciplines that often conflict in post-prostatectomy adjuvant treatment recommendations. Using clinical information alone, observation was recommended in 42 percent of decisions made by urologists and only 23 percent by radiation oncologists. When the same cases were randomized and reviewed again with Decipher test results, treatment recommendations changed by 45 percent and 35 percent of each group, respectively.

For Decipher high-risk patients, the odds ratio of recommending adjuvant radiation therapy by urologists versus radiation oncologists nearly doubled, suggesting that the gap between the two disciplines decreased when Decipher test results were incorporated. The poster (abstract 2580) was titled "Impact of a genomic classifier of metastatic risk on post-prostatectomy treatment recommendations by radiation oncologists and urologists."

In a second poster presented today at ASTRO, Daniel Trifiletti, M.D., of University of Virginia Health System, evaluated in a decision modeling study the comparative effectiveness of adjuvant versus salvage radiation therapy when Decipher as an individualized estimate of disease aggressiveness was implemented into clinical patient care.  The study showed that treatment decisions involving the Decipher test led to an increase in adjuvant radiation therapy utilization, and, overall, resulted in an increase in life years and quality-adjusted life years for those patients. These results are in contrast to a previously reported decision analysis study that favored salvage radiation therapy over adjuvant post prostatectomy, suggesting that Decipher provides valuable personalized prognostic information to help guide appropriate treatment after surgery.  The poster (abstract # 2951) was titled "Reconsidering adjuvant versus salvage radiotherapy for prostate cancer using an individualized decision analysis with genomic classifier scores."

About Decipher®
The Decipher® Prostate Cancer Classifier directly measures a patient's biological risk of developing metastatic prostate cancer. By assessing the activity of multiple genomic markers associated with metastatic disease, Decipher provides information about the aggressiveness of a patient's tumor – information distinct from that provided by PSA and other clinical risk factors. Decipher continues to demonstrate that it can accurately predict aggressive disease and help physicians make more informed treatment decisions for men with prostate cancer.

Decipher is covered by multiple private insurance plans and is available to eligible US patients through their physicians. To learn more about ordering the Decipher test please visit www.deciphertest.com.

About GenomeDx
GenomeDx Biosciences is focused on transforming patient management by putting usable genomic information in the hands of patients and their physicians. GenomeDx has developed the Decipher® Prostate Cancer Classifier, the first and only commercially available genomic test that predicts the risk of developing metastatic prostate cancer independently of PSA and other conventional risk assessment tools. GenomeDx is based in San Diego, California and Vancouver, British Columbia. To learn more visit www.genomedx.com.

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SOURCE GenomeDx Biosciences