Quest Diagnostics Launches Prostate Cancer Test

Quest Diagnostics is marketing a novel prostate cancer biomarker test through its subspecialty pathology business, AmeriPath, in collaboration with Envision Sciences Pty Ltd., an Australian-based clinical diagnostics company developing biomarker-based cancer diagnostic and prognostic tests in tissue and blood.
 
The new, tissue-based test service is intended to address the pressing clinical need for tests to help identify and differentiate potentially aggressive cases of prostate cancer in men. 
 
Quest developed and validated the laboratory test under an intellectual property license agreement with Envision for use of Envision’s proprietary biomarker and immunohistochemistry technology, which includes Envision’s staining technology and biomarkers (named EV1, EV2 and EV3). Recently published data in Pathology shows that 22% of tissue specimens examined with a panel based on the three Envision biomarkers and technology were upgraded, and 20% were downgraded, as compared to the conventional assessment of pathologic evaluation based on hematoxylin and eosin-stained tissue alone.¹
 
Prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent and deadly cancers affecting men. According to the American Cancer Society, about one in every eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime.² A Quest Diagnostics Health Trends study showed that more than two years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, diagnoses of prostate and breast cancer continue to lag behind pre-pandemic levels, suggesting more people are living with undiagnosed cancers now than prior to the pandemic. Although it is one of the most common cancers globally, existing prostate cancer testing methods, particularly for early, lower grade stages, have limited accuracy across pathologists.³
 
“Our goal for this innovative prostate biomarker test is to improve the accuracy of grading prostate cancer biopsies. We expect this service to help fill a clinical gap affecting millions of men for staging, diagnosis and treatment for prostate cancer,” said Kristie Dolan, vice president and general manager, Quest Diagnostics Oncology Franchise. “Through our relationship with Envision, we are excited to broaden access to this innovative technology. With Quest’s national scale and industry-leading prostate cancer portfolio, we will be able to reach a larger number of patients and provide them with diagnostic insights to inform their treatment decisions.”
 
“Envision Sciences welcomes this relationship with Quest Diagnostics. We believe this collaboration aligns us with the world leader in prostate cancer testing,” Envision CEO Peter Pursey stated. “Our patented technology provides a novel approach to visualizing prostate cancer tissue and improving accuracy in grading the cancer by pathologists. We expect the test to enhance current prostate cancer histology practice and improve the information available to clinicians, enabling them to better align cancer grades with treatment options.”
 
Quest Diagnostics provides advanced diagnostic services, including in oncology. Its specialty pathology businesses, AmeriPath and Dermpath Diagnostics businesses provide subspecialty expertise based largely from serving community cancer centers, which provide 70% of cancer care nationally. Quest annually serves one in three adult Americans and half of U.S. physicians and hospitals.
 
Envision Sciences is a clinical diagnostics development company with a focus on oncology diagnostics and prognostics in tissue and blood. Its goal is to provide clinicians more detailed information and greater clarity regarding the grading and activity of their patients’ cancer, therefore allowing improved diagnosis and better clinical treatment decisions. Envision licenced the original technology from University of South Australia and continue an active biomarker discovery research and development program with the University. Envision acknowledges funding support from MTP Connect under the BTB program. 

References
¹ Martini, C., Logan, J.M., Sorvina, A., Gordon, C., Beck, A.R., S-Y. Ung B. Caruso, M.C., Moore, C., Hocking, A., Johnson, I.R.D., Li, K.L., Karageorgos, L., Hopkins, A.M., Esterman, A.J., Huzzell , C., Brooks, R.D., Lazniewska, J., Hickey, S.M., Bader, C., Brooks, D.A. (2002). Aberrant protein expression of APPL1, Sortilin and syndecan-1 during the biological progression of prostate cancer. Pathology, 55(1), 40-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pathol.2022.08.001 
² Key Statistics for Prostate Cancer | Prostate Cancer Facts
³ Can Prostate Cancer Be Found Early?