Abstract
Cancer Diagnostics: Technology and Business Trends examines the current status
of in vivo imaging applications and in vitro cancer diagnostic tests, as well
as their future potential as important screening tools.
Cancer diagnostic technologies and assays are essential for the detection,
diagnosis, and management of cancer. For certain cancers, methods are
available for screening apparently healthy (asymptomatic) average-risk
individuals. In addition, some cancers, such as cervical and colorectal
cancers, can be detected in an even earlier, precancerous stage of
development. For example, remote sample tests being developed by Epigenomics
in partnership with Roche promise to identify more people with Stage I
colorectal cancer and could dramatically decrease the mortality associated
with this disease. These tests may enter the market as early as 2008/2009.
The diverse applications in cancer screening, monitoring, and diagnostics
require a broad range of tools. Cancer Diagnostics: Technology and Business
Trends profiles selected companies competing in this market to develop such
technologies and apply them in novel and innovative ways. Topics evaluated in
this report include the following:
- New molecular imaging technologies, such as positron emission tomography
(PET).
- Advances in in vitro diagnostic colorectal cancer screening.
- Efforts to identify novel cancer biomarkers and develop new
pharmacodiagnostic cancer tests.
- The field of pharmacodiagnostics--the development of tests to predict
response to therapy or to identify the optimal therapy for a patient. Two
examples of pharmacodiagnostic tests that are already being used--the
DakoCytomation EGFR PharmDx test, and Immunophenotyping of leukemia and
lymphoma--are discussed.
- Potential opportunities for DNA methylation tests.
- Market opportunities for current tests and emerging applications.