NEW YORK (GenoemWeb) – Trovagene said today that it is collaborating with the University of California, San Diego Moores Cancer Center to determine the utility of detecting EGFR mutations in lung cancer patients using Trovagene's Precision Cancer Monitoring platform.
The Precision Cancer Monitoring platform is a noninvasive method for detecting and monitoring cancer mutations, often called a liquid biopsy. The technology "allows physicians to detect and monitor genetic changes of a patient's cancer over time without the need for an invasive biopsy," Trovagene CEO Antonius Schuh said in a statement.
Hatim Husain, lead investigator and assistant professor of hematology-oncology at UCSD Moores Cancer Center, noted that his group is interested in determining and monitoring EGFR mutational status in patients with lung cancer who are progressing despite treatment with first-line EGFR inhibitors.
"A serious clinical challenge in treating this disease is to obtain lung tissue biopsies," Husain said. "Severe complications from these biopsy procedures occur and are associated with significant cost. A liquid biopsy has potential to reduce the need to conduct lung tissue biopsies, and also offers the ability to frequently obtain critical genomic information for improved patient management."
To date, Trovagene has processed more than 3,000 patient samples under its collaborations, including one announced last week with City of Hope, as well as collaborations with Northwestern University institutions and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.