This first test using Correlogic's hidden patterns approach and technology is currently undergoing extensive validation. The test has received worldwide attention because of its novel approach to disease detection and the critical need for an early detection test for ovarian cancer, which kills more than 16,000 women each year.
Under this initiative, researchers expect to collect blood samples from several hundred women over the next two years. Samples will be analyzed immediately to expand validation of the blood test, and in subsequent months to provide additional information that may help extend clinical use of the test.
The North Shore-LIJ Health System, the parent of the North Shore-LIJ Research Institute, treats more than 11,000 women annually for gynecologic conditions in its hospitals, and countless thousands more in its doctors' private offices, with almost 200 new patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year. With its extensive access to this population of patients, North Shore-LIJ will invite all women undergoing specific gynecologic surgery, women at high risk who are not undergoing surgery, and women who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer to participate in this research effort by providing blood samples for scientific evaluation. As lead investigator of this project, John Lovecchio, MD, chief of gynecologic oncology for the North Shore-LIJ Health System, is playing a pivotal role.
"Upon validation, this blood test can dramatically change the lives of women at high risk for ovarian cancer," said Dr. Lovecchio. "When caught very early, the survival rate can be as high as 90 percent. Unfortunately, most of these cancers are caught only after the disease has progressed to the later stages, when the survival rate is only about 25 percent."
This collaboration was brought about through the leadership of U.S. Rep. Steve Israel, of Huntington, co-chair of the House Cancer Caucus and a champion of cancer research. Congressman Israel introduced a Congressional resolution promoting research on this technology and calling for federal and private insurance coverage of ovarian cancer tests based on the technology. The resolution was approved in the House in July 2002.
"I'm pleased to have played an instrumental role in forming this partnership," noted Rep. Israel. "After final validation, these new technologies could diagnose ovarian cancer in its early stages, when survival rates are dramatically higher than in later stages. It is only fitting that this research is conducted on Long Island, where we have extremely talented researchers and state-of-the-art facilities. I am confident that through this partnership, we will save women's lives."
North Shore-LIJ's participation in this collaboration is financed through the support of The Lynne Cohen Foundation for Ovarian Cancer Research, Row for a Cure and the Sonia L. Totino Gynecologic Cancer Research Fund, whose combined contributions total more than $200,000. These organizations are dedicated to supporting research and raising awareness of ovarian and other gynecologic cancers, with a goal of increasing survival and improving the quality of life of women affected by them.
"Our goal is to change the outcome of ovarian cancer for thousands of women diagnosed with this disease each year," said Peter Levine, president of Correlogic Systems, Inc. "The collaboration with the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, with its powerful reach and expertise, will contribute importantly to that goal."
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and based on data from 2000, the age-adjusted incidence of ovarian cancer nationally is 15.8 per 100,000 women. According to New York State Cancer Registry data from the years 1996 through 2000, the incidence is 18.3 per 100,000 in Suffolk County and 20 in Nassau County. Long Island is home to a larger-than-average proportion of Ashkenazi Jewish women, who may be at higher risk for certain cancers, including ovarian cancer.
About the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Research Institute
Located in Manhasset, NY, and part of the North Shore-LIJ Health System, the North Shore-LIJ Research Institute is among the top five percent of institutions nationally that receive funding from the National Institutes of Health. Building on its strengths in immunology and inflammation, oncology and cell biology, human genetics, and neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders, its goal is to understand the biological processes that underlie various diseases and translate this knowledge into new tools for diagnosis and treatment.
About Correlogic Systems, Inc.
Correlogic is a clinical proteomics company that has pioneered the use of pattern recognition in disease detection. Correlogic's work is based on a fundamentally new approach that looks for subtle changes in protein patterns in the blood, rather than an increase in an individual biomarker. It employs artificial intelligence-based computer technology to identify these hidden patterns. First applied to ovarian cancer, Correlogic's technology and process can detect the presence of disease with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity, even in the earliest stages. Because the tests will require only a simple blood draw -- making them accessible, non-invasive and virtually painless -- they hold the promise of widespread use, and saving countless lives and billions of dollars in healthcare costs. Also under active development are blood tests for prostate, breast and colon cancer.
About The Lynne Cohen Foundation for Ovarian Cancer Research
Founded in 1998 in memory of Lynne Cohen by her three daughters after she died of ovarian cancer, The Lynne Cohen Foundation for Ovarian Cancer Research supports clinics for women at high risk of ovarian cancer in New York and California and provides research grants to institutions doing groundbreaking research to improve the survival rates for women with ovarian cancer.
About Row for a Cure
After losing many family members and friends to breast cancer, Long Islander Rick Shalvoy, an avid rower and long-time lifeguard, decided in 1997 to raise money for breast cancer research by rowing the 300-mile course around Long Island every year until a safe and effective cure is discovered and available to patients.
About the Sonia L. Totino Gynecologic Cancer Research Fund
Established by Rocco Totino in December 2002 when his wife died of ovarian cancer leaving him and their two sons behind, the Sonia L. Totino Gynecologic Cancer Research Fund carries out Sonia Totino's wishes to support research and raise awareness of ovarian and other gynecologic cancers.
Cautionary Statement:
Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on Correlogic Systems, Inc.'s management's current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results could differ materially due to, among other things, operational and other difficulties associated with integrating acquired business, general business conditions, competition among managed care companies, rising health costs, trends in medical loss ratios, health care reform, delay in receipt of regulatory and other approvals for pending transactions and other regulatory issues.