DiaTech Oncology MiCK Chemotherapy Induced Apoptosis Assay Shows Increased Response and Survival in... -- NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 26 /PRNewswire/ --

Findings Published at the ASCO Conference Provide a New Treatment Strategy for Patients and Support Favorable Reimbursement Coverage Policies

NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 26 /PRNewswire/ -- DiaTech Oncology announced today that the American Society of Cancer Oncology (ASCO) has published the results of a comprehensive study to determine the effectiveness of the Microculture Kinetic (MiCK) assay for apoptosis in predicting increased response and survival rates for ovarian cancer patients. In the MiCK assay, the tumor cells of an individual patient are exposed to multiple doses of several chemotherapeutic drugs either as single drugs or in combinations. A sophisticated algorithm is used to monitor and compute the amounts of apoptosis caused by each of the drugs to establish a drug sensitivity profile of the patient's tumor cells. Knowledge of a patient's drug sensitivity profile allows the treating oncologists to prescribe chemotherapy that would be the most effective against the tumor cells of that patient.

The results showed overall survival significantly better in 92% of patients who received the best chemotherapy as predicted by the MiCK assay compared to only 76% of patients who received treatment not recommended by the assay. There was also a significantly higher overall response rate (82% vs. 54%) for patients who received a treatment the assay showed would be preferred. Ovarian cancer patients in stage 3 or 4 and treated with a highly active assay score had significantly increased survival rates (94% vs. 77% alive at 24 months). The clinical benefit rate was 85% for patients with chemotherapy that was highly active in the assay, compared to only 57% for those patients receiving less active chemotherapy.....