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news.Canada's Upstream Biosciences has filed a US provisional patent application for certain ovarian cancer biomarkers that could be useful for determining whether patients have a genetic risk of developing ovarian cancer.
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Upstream, which aims to become an emerging leader in the field of genetic diagnostics for cancer and the prediction of drug response, is developing diagnostic tests that may aid in the early detection of cancer by identifying individuals with disease susceptibility.
The Vancouver-based group is also developing diagnostic tests that may determine whether a drug will be useful or harmful to an individual patient based on his or her genetic profile.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), ovarian cancer ranks fifth in cancer deaths among women, accounting for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. It is estimated that there will be about 15,310 deaths from ovarian cancer in the US during 2006.
Furthermore, ASC research shows that if ovarian cancer is found early and at a localized stage about 94% of patients will live more than five years after the cancer is diagnosed, but presently only 20% of ovarian cancers are found at an early stage. By finding cancerous cells early it significantly improves the chances for successful treatment. Upstream’s diagnostic markers could potentially increase the likelihood of early detection by identifying which patients have a genetic risk of developing the disease.