{"id":45843,"date":"2024-05-24T20:51:23","date_gmt":"2024-05-25T00:51:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/?p=45843"},"modified":"2024-05-24T20:51:28","modified_gmt":"2024-05-25T00:51:28","slug":"blood-test-for-colon-cancer-screening-secures-fda-panels-blessing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/2024\/05\/24\/blood-test-for-colon-cancer-screening-secures-fda-panels-blessing\/","title":{"rendered":"Blood Test for Colon Cancer Screening Secures FDA Panel&#8217;s Blessing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An FDA panel on Thursday endorsed a blood-based test for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in adults 45 years and older at average risk for the disease, putting aside concerns over the test&#8217;s low sensitivity for precancerous lesions.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1110px) 100vw, 1110px\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/110317.webp?resize=1110%2C624&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45844\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a series of three votes on Guardant Health&#8217;s Shield test, the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/advisory-committees\/advisory-committee-calendar\/may-23-2024-molecular-and-clinical-genetics-panel-medical-devices-advisory-committee-meeting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Molecular and Clinical Genetics Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee opens in a new tab or window<\/a>\u00a0voted 8-1 in support of the test&#8217;s safety, 6-3 in support of its effectiveness, and 7-2 in support of the test&#8217;s benefit-risk profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite the positive votes, the panel as a whole still had concerns about Shield&#8217;s ability to detect early-stage CRC and advanced adenomas, and many advocated for strong labeling emphasizing this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;It&#8217;s a good colon cancer screening test, but for later-stage colon cancer,&#8221; said Karla Ballman, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science in Rochester, Minnesota, who cast her votes in support of the test. &#8220;It&#8217;s not as good in stage I, and definitely not good for advanced adenoma.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;In the labeling it should clearly indicate that this is not to detect adenomas and is not designed as a preventative strategy,&#8221; said Sean Spencer, MD, PhD, of the Stanford School of Medicine in California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shield was evaluated in the pivotal&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.medpagetoday.com\/gastroenterology\/coloncancer\/109156\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ECLIPSE trialopens in a new tab or window<\/a>&nbsp;&#8212; a multisite, prospective, non-randomized, observational study designed to evaluate the clinical performance of the test in patients 45 to 84 years of age who were of average risk for CRC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Results from the study showed that the cell-free DNA blood-based test had a sensitivity of 83.1% for CRC and a specificity of 89.6% for advanced neoplasia. ECLIPSE investigators also found that sensitivity increased with stage &#8212; 55% for stage I CRC and 100% for stage II-IV CRC. However, Shield&#8217;s sensitivity for detecting advanced adenomas was only 13.2%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Charity Morgan, PhD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, reasoned that the proposed indication for Shield is for the detection of CRC only.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;If the indication had said something about advanced adenomas I would have changed my vote,&#8221; said Morgan, who voted in support on all three questions. &#8220;I was on the fence about the effectiveness because of the limited sensitivity for stage I [CRC]. I think that if the labeling is very clear that this test is strongest for detecting stages II, III, and IV, that would turn my vote from a weak yes to a strong yes.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During an earlier discussion, Stephen Hewitt, MD, PhD, of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, suggested that the test &#8220;undermines the concept of cancer prevention.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;It has nice performance as a cancer detection assay, particularly in stage II, stage III, stage IV,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And yes, there is a blind spot in colonoscopy, especially at stage I or stage II diagnosis, but [Shield] is not necessarily beating colonoscopy at stage I, and the failure to be able to remove lesions that have a propensity to move forward is concerning.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hewitt voted against Shield on all three questions and said he specifically voted against the safety question &#8220;because it puts patients at risk of the development of cancer&#8221; based on the available data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An Unmet Need<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Shield test is an in vitro diagnostic blood test intended to detect CRC-derived alterations in cell-free DNA. In addition to its intended use for average risk adults ages 45 years and older, Guardant&#8217;s proposed indications for use also say the test &#8220;is not a replacement for diagnostic colonoscopy or surveillance colonoscopy in high-risk individuals&#8221; and that if patients have an &#8220;abnormal signal detected&#8221; they may have CRC or advanced adenoma and should be referred to colonoscopy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking for Guardant, Peter Liang, MD, MPH, of NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City, noted that most recent data suggest only about 58% of U.S. adults between the ages of 45 and 75 are up to date with screening, below the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable screening target of 80%, and the test therefore addresses an unmet need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Patients and providers need additional CRC screening options that are convenient, noninvasive, and accurate,&#8221; Liang said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Our goal is to increase colon cancer screening,&#8221; said committee member Mark Gilger, MD, of the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, during an earlier discussion on Shield&#8217;s risks and benefits. &#8220;You offer the patient a test. The test preference is colonoscopy because not only can you see it, you can remove it if you see something there. That makes great sense. The problem is &#8212; not everyone wants a colonoscopy.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;That&#8217;s an issue,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I think the blood test simply offers you an alternative, and if that&#8217;s positive, I think the patient is going to be very inspired to have a colonoscopy. That makes sense to me.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During an open public hearing session a number of physicians, representatives of CRC advocacy organizations, and patients enthusiastically supported the idea of a blood-based test as a way to increase CRC screening and detection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Candace Henley of the Blue Hat Foundation, a CRC organization serving minority and medically underserved communities, noted that African Americans, in particular, face significantly lower screening rates than the general population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Blood-based screening is not just an alternative, it is an imperative step towards equity in healthcare,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Picking up on the topic of access to colonoscopy, panelist Vikesh Singh, MD, MSc, of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, wondered how many patients with a positive result on non-invasive tests end up getting a follow-on colonoscopy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If patients lack access to colonoscopy, &#8220;then the test is just a test, right?&#8221; he asked. &#8220;There&#8217;s no confirmation &#8212; there&#8217;s nothing actually done to reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer &#8230; or treat it at a stage in which it can be treated more effectively.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Victoria Raymond, senior director of medical affairs at Guardant Health, told Singh he raised a &#8220;critical point about the benefits and limitations of these non-invasive screening tests, and it is exactly true that when a patient decides to pursue one of these colonoscopy alternatives it is critical that they understand that an abnormal signal by any of these tests requires a diagnostic follow-on colonoscopy.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;It is one of the reasons it will be part of our education materials, and is also part of our indication for use,&#8221; she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the FDA is not required to follow the recommendations of its advisory committees, it typically does.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An FDA panel on Thursday endorsed a blood-based test for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in adults 45 years and older at average risk for the disease, putting aside concerns over&hellip; 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