St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix has partnered with Castle Biosciences, Inc. to provide the nation's first genomics-based test for patients suffering from glioblastoma multiforme, the most deadly form of primary brain cancer. This new test is used to help doctors and patients consider various treatment options.
Castle Biosciences chose St. Joseph's DNA Diagnostics Lab as the sole location to perform this test following an extensive review process. The Greater Phoenix Economic Council facilitated key connections that led to the agreement between St. Joseph's and Castle Biosciences. Physicians from across the United States have now begun sending cases to Castle for DecisionDx-GBM testing to be run in St. Joseph's DNA Diagnostics Lab.
Based on a tumor's expression of a certain set of genes, this molecular diagnostic test can tell a doctor if the tumor is likely to be sensitive or resistant to the standard first line treatment. If resistant, precious time might be saved by evaluating different treatment plan options.
"Based on the results of clinical studies, DecisionDx-GBM is the most sensitive test available to tell a patient the likelihood of survival with first line therapy," says Derek Maetzold, president and CEO of Castle Biosciences. "The test results aid patients and physicians with their treatment planning and other decisions."
Dr. John Stone heads the DNA Diagnostics Laboratory at St. Joseph's and says his lab is "making possible personalized medicine, based on genomics. Our offering this test is a prime example of translational genomics closing the loop between the research lab and the clinic."
Dr. Stone believes the testing can "make a real difference in people's lives. While there is currently no cure, this test can certainly help patients understand and plan for the likely course of the disease."
About St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center:
Located in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center is a 743-bed, not-for-profit hospital that provides a wide range of health, social and support services with special advocacy for the poor and underserved. St. Joseph's is a nationally recognized center for quality tertiary care, medical education and research. It includes the internationally renowned Barrow Neurological Institute, the Heart & Lung Institute, St. Joseph's Children's Health Center, and a Level I Trauma Center verified by the American College of Surgeons. U.S. News & World Report routinely ranks St. Joseph's among the best hospitals in the United States for neurology and neurosurgery.
About Castle Biosciences:
Castle Biosciences is a biomarker based cancer diagnostics company whose mission it is to serve individuals afflicted with orphan cancers and those who care for them. We are pursuing this mission by commercializing molecular diagnostic assays that assist the oncologist in achieving better outcomes for their patients by providing them with diagnostic information that aids their decision making. We also believe that the high concentration of oncologists managing orphan cancers will allow us to efficiently and effectively serve our customers' needs. We intend to accomplish our objectives by identifying, in-licensing, developing, validating, and commercializing multiple prognostic molecular diagnostic assays that have been developed at leading institutions around the United States. We will be announcing our second licensing product shortly.
Ordering DecisionDx-GBM:
The requisition form for DecisionDx-GBM can be downloaded from www.castlebiosciences.com. DecisionDx-GBM is available for ordering in all states except California and New York. These two states require additional state licensure, which we are pursuing. Castle Biosciences bills third party insurance (Medicare and private insurance).