Thursday 14th June 2012

PRESS RELEASE: Unilabs brings Novel Genomic Test to Breast Cancer Patient

Unilabs IHS, a leading supplier of cellular pathology services in the UK, announced today that its patients will now have access to the Oncotype DX breast cancer test at their partner clinics and hospitals, including the The Harley Street Breast Clinic in London.

Developed by Genomic Health, Inc, the Oncotype DX test is a unique genomic assay that enables doctors and their patients with early stage oestorgen receptor positive invasive breast cancer to make more informed, individualised treatment decisions.

"Oncotype DX is the only genomic test that helps inform each woman with breast cancer about both her own personal risk of breast cancer recurrence and the likely benefit from chemotherapy", said Nicolas Beechey Newman, Consultant Breast Surgeon and Clinical Director at The Harley Street Breast Clinic.

"The use of the test in the planning of individualised cancer care helps patients and their doctors make individual treatment decisions based on the best possible information, which allows chemotherapy to be used where it will be most beneficial to women."

The Unilabs-IHS Breast Pathology Service was established in 2001 and is the market leader in outsourced histopathology services, delivering services to both the public and private sectors. Unilabs supports a mutlidisciplinary approach to the care of patients with breast disease - pathologists work closely with teams of surgeons, radiologists and oncologists and with other pathology specialists, to diagnose breast disease, assess its receptors status amd address issues of appropriate care.

"Unilabs takes a pro-active stance with its services, investing time and money to provide 'State of the Art' diagnostic testing with the latest equipment", said Dr Glen Dixon, Medical Director of Cytopathology.

"As a result, Unilabs is continually evolving and driving forward its standards of quality and care. Oncotype DX is a great example of the high quality breast diagnostics we strive to provide physicians and patients."

As part of this agreement, physicians can send their patients' tissue samples to the Unilabs IHS laboratory where the test will be facilitated. The Oncotype DX test will be available to patients with early-stage, estrogen-positive (ER+) invasive breast cancer. The test is performed on a small amount of tissue removed during the original surgery (lumpectomy, masectomy, or core biopsy). Based on the multi-gene analyses of the tumour sample, Oncotype DX assigns the breast cancer a Recurrence Score result. This score is a number between 0 and 100 that corresponds to a specific likelihood of experiencing breast cancer recurrence within 10 years of initial diagnosis. This test is the only genomic assay incorporated in ASCO, NCCN and St Gallen breast cancer treatment guidelines for patients with non-negative breast invasive cancer that is oestrogen-receptor positive and/or progesterone-receptor positive.

"Genomic Health is delighted to be working with Unilabs IHS Breast Pathology Service and The Harley Street Breast Clinic team in their quest to bring high quality personalised medicine to women with breast cancer," said Dr Andrea Pithers, Country Strategic Manager for Genomic Health in the UK.

"Across Europe, the Oncotype DX test for invasive breast cancer is increasingly becoming incorporated into the clinical care of women with early-stage breast cancer and we hope that this collaboration will enable more women in the UK to benefit from genomic information provided by this test."

Unilabs Contact Details:

Carolyn Wood
Business Development Executive

Tel: +44 (0)20 7299 4490
Mob: +44 (0)79 7160 5584
Email: carolyn.wood@unilabs.com