News Release

Mayo Clinic launches 50-gene cancer panel test

Business Announcement

Mayo Clinic

ROCHESTER, Minn. — April 23, 2014 — Mayo Clinic announces the launch of CANCP, a new gene panel cancer test to help tailor chemotherapy to the individual patient based on the unique genomic signature of the patient's tumor. CANCP, an abbreviation for Solid Tumor Targeted Cancer Gene Panel by Next-Generation Sequencing, scans specific regions in 50 genes known to affect tumor growth and response to chemotherapy. The test is now available to Mayo Clinic patients and to providers worldwide through Mayo Medical Laboratories.

"Every patient's cancer is different, and oncology is moving away from treating cancer based on its location in the body in favor of selecting the best medication for the individual patient based on molecular changes in the tumor," says Axel Grothey, M.D., a Mayo Clinic oncologist who orders CANCP on selected tumors. "This test helps providers identify such molecular changes without infusing irrelevant details from genes that we know will not affect our choice of medications."

The test is a hotspot panel, which means it scans specific regions of individual genes — rather than the entire gene — in search of tumor mutations that influence response to chemotherapy. It is designed for testing of solid tumors and focuses on clinically actionable alterations.

"We worked closely with oncologists, pathologists and molecular geneticists to develop and implement a next-generation sequencing assay that will have actionable results for providers," says Benjamin Kipp, Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic molecular geneticist and CANCP's lead designer. "This test focuses on results that oncologists can use to help find the right drug the first time."

Testing is conducted in the CLIA-certified Next-Generation Sequencing Lab of the Mayo Clinic Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology (DLMP). This is the second next-generation sequencing panel test offered by DLMP and Mayo Medical Laboratories. The other is a 17-gene screening test for hereditary colorectal cancers. Both were developed in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine.

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About Mayo Clinic

Recognizing 150 years of serving humanity in 2014, Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. For more information, visit 150years.mayoclinic.org, http://www.mayoclinic.org and newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org.

About Mayo Medical Laboratories/Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology

The Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic maintains an active diagnostic test development program. These activities also incorporate technologies from collaborations with diagnostic and biotechnology companies. Mayo utilizes these proven diagnostic technologies in the care of its patients and offers them to more than 5,000 health care institutions around the world through Mayo Medical Laboratories. Revenue from this testing is used to support medical education and research at Mayo Clinic.

About the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine

The Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine is home to the Individualized Medicine Clinic, the world's first integrated multidisciplinary genomics clinic, serving patients with advanced cancer and complex diagnoses. The center discovers and integrates the latest in genomic, molecular and clinical sciences into personalized care for each Mayo Clinic patient.

Visit http://mayoresearch.mayo.edu/center-for-individualized-medicine for more information.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Sam Smith
Mayo Clinic Public Affairs
507-284-5005
newsbureau@mayo.edu


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