EDX Medical is to launch in the UK a new state of the art testing for identifying the risk of hereditary cancer.
Comprehensive hereditary germline cancer testing is designed to accurately predict if family members of cancer patients are at increased risk from the disease.
A pan-cancer test which achieves 99% sensitivity and identifies mutations in 70 genes known to be associated with cancers which have a strong inherited, genetic component, such as including prostate, breast, colorectal, pancreatic and ovarian cancers, will be made available to health professionals later this summer.
Comprehensive hereditary germline cancer testing will enable doctors to advise family members of cancer patients on lifestyle choices and actions they can take to delay or prevent onset of the disease.
The tests will be available through private healthcare providers and via specific NHS Genetic and Genomic Testing Centres in cases where family members of cancer patients can be screened for genetic risk of cancer. EDX Medical will provide a support service for healthcare professionals with the test.
Professor Sir Chris Evans, OBE, founder of EDX Medical plc, commented: ” We are delighted to announce the launch of this test which we believe to be the highest quality hereditary cancer test available anywhere in the world. The fact that this single test covers all the known genes associated with inherited cancer risk will be enormously reassuring for people who have a close family member with or who have survived cancer.”
“This is an important development in the EDX Medical cancer strategy to ensure increasing accessibility to excellent diagnostic products for doctors and their patients in the UK. The hereditary test is the first in a series of new precision cancer tests to be launched by EDX Medical in the coming months.”
Dr Mike Hudson, CEO, EDX Medical plc, said: ”This is an excellent, comprehensive test based on the latest clinical and scientific knowledge. Testing family members of cancer patients must be a key part of a National Cancer Prevention and Management Strategy.”
“This test enables doctors to identify important genetic risks shared by patients and their families, to take preventative action before the onset of disease, or to make well-informed clinical decisions and ensure access to modern medicines with greater chances of long-term survival should cancer occur later.”
