SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 7, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Myriad Genetics, Inc. (MYGN) today announced new clinical data from a study with myRisk Hereditary Cancer, a 25-gene hereditary cancer panel, that showed a 60 percent increase in mutations detected in cancer predisposition genes in patients with a prior history of colon cancer and/or polyps. Myriad is presenting this clinical study and data from four other studies this week at the Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Colorectal Cancer (CGA) Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif.

Patients with a family history of colon cancer also are vulnerable to other cancers including breast, ovarian, endometrial and stomach cancer. The detection of individuals with mutations associated with hereditary colon cancer greatly increases the chances of successful medical management in those at-risk individuals, which will save lives and reduce the downstream healthcare costs. Also, once a patient has been identified as carrying a deleterious mutation that patient's family members can be tested to determine if they have an increased risk of cancer.

"The new data presented at this year's CGA meeting is ground breaking and underscores the importance of using multi-gene panels when testing patients for hereditary colon cancer," said Richard J. Wenstrup, MD, chief medical officer of Myriad. "Importantly, the data suggest that the use of a 25-gene hereditary cancer panel significantly improved the detection of mutations and is a more efficient way for patients to receive appropriate medical management."

Below is a summary of the key data being presented at the CGA annual meeting.

Abstract: Germline Mutations Identified by a 25-Gene Panel in Patients Undergoing Lynch Syndrome Testing

This study evaluated the mutation prevalence among cases referred for Lynch Syndrome (LS), the most common genetic cause of colon cancer, using the myRisk Hereditary Cancer test, a 25-gene hereditary cancer panel. The study presents data from two cohorts representing a total of 1,133 patients diagnosed with colon cancer or colorectal polyps. The results demonstrated that 10 percent of patients had deleterious mutations in the traditional hereditary colon cancer genes, but an additional 6 percent had deleterious mutations in other genes. This represents a 60 percent increase in the number of patients detected with deleterious mutations in cancer predisposing genes

Abstract: Overlap between Lynch Syndrome and Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome among Family Histories in Patients Tested for Hereditary Cancer Syndromes

This study investigated the overlap of personal and family histories in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) and hereditary colon cancer in 9,000 patients. Results showed that among patients tested for HBOC, 6.9 percent also had family histories that meet the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) criteria for hereditary colon cancer. In addition, 30 percent of patients tested for hereditary colon cancer also met NCCN criteria for HBOC. This analysis demonstrates the overlap among patients with a family history of hereditary breast cancer and those with a family history of colon cancer, suggesting that patients may benefit from multi-gene panels to better improve the diagnosis of hereditary cancer syndromes.

Abstract: MSI-High Histology Is a Predictive Risk Factor for Lynch Syndrome

The objective of this study was to better understand the prevalence of hereditary colon cancer mutations in patients who have abnormal histology, regardless of family history. Approximately 13.9 percent (57/410) of patients with abnormal histology had a deleterious mutation. Importantly, among the patients who tested positive for a deleterious mutation, 77.2 percent (44/57) would not have met Amsterdam II criteria based on personal or family history for hereditary colon cancer testing if histology was not considered. These data support the use of histology to simplify patient selection for hereditary colon cancer testing.

Original post:
Myriad's myRisk Hereditary Cancer(TM) Test Improves Colon Cancer Testing by 60 Percent

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