Multianalyte Test Predicts Drug Resistance in Esophageal Cancer
|
By LabMedica International staff writers Posted on 16 Mar 2015 |

Image: Histopathology of esophageal carcinoma showing infiltrating nests of neoplastic cells (Photo courtesy of Dr. Elliot Weisenberg, MD).
A multianalyte algorithmic immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay accurately identifies patients with locoregional esophageal adenocarcinoma (EC) who exhibit extreme resistance to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.
The test analyzes the localization of three protein biomarkers within a patient's tumor to classify the cancer as either responsive to or resistant to presurgical chemoradiotherapy and demonstrates strong accuracy and specificity in identifying patients with tumors that are unlikely to respond to standard presurgical (neoadjuvant) chemotherapy and radiation.
Scientists at Baylor College of Medicine (Houston TX, USA) and their colleagues studied archived biopsy specimens of EC which were subject to IHC examination of compartmentalized immunoreactivity of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), Sonic Hedgehog (SHH), and GLI family zinc finger 1 (Gli-1), and a labeling index score was assigned to each biomarker. Pretreatment tumor biopsies were used to evaluate resistance (exCTRT) or responsiveness to (non-exCTRT) standard presurgical chemoradiotherapy (CTRT) regimens under accredited certified laboratory protocols.
According to validation studies, the DecisionDx-EC test (Castle Biosciences, Inc.; Friendswood, TX, USA) can reliably differentiate patients who are complete or partial responders to chemoradiotherapy from those who are non-responders. An initial, single center clinical validation study of 167 patients, which was used as training set for the current validation study, achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.96 and an overall accuracy of 90%. The second validation, enrolled 64 patients from two independent institutions, and achieved an AUC of 0.96 and an overall accuracy of 84% for classifying which patients are likely to be highly resistant to presurgical chemotherapy treatment for esophageal cancer.
Derek Maetzold, BS, MBA, the President and CEO of Castle Biosciences, said, “Publication of these results is a culmination of our extensive program to analytically and clinically validate a new predictive test for esophageal cancer. DecisionDx-EC fits well within our strategy of developing and commercializing valuable prognostic tests that help physicians to select the most appropriate care for their patients.” The study was published on February 19, 2015, in the journal Gastrointestinal Cancer: Targets and Therapy.
Related Links:
Baylor College of Medicine
Castle Biosciences, Inc.
The test analyzes the localization of three protein biomarkers within a patient's tumor to classify the cancer as either responsive to or resistant to presurgical chemoradiotherapy and demonstrates strong accuracy and specificity in identifying patients with tumors that are unlikely to respond to standard presurgical (neoadjuvant) chemotherapy and radiation.
Scientists at Baylor College of Medicine (Houston TX, USA) and their colleagues studied archived biopsy specimens of EC which were subject to IHC examination of compartmentalized immunoreactivity of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), Sonic Hedgehog (SHH), and GLI family zinc finger 1 (Gli-1), and a labeling index score was assigned to each biomarker. Pretreatment tumor biopsies were used to evaluate resistance (exCTRT) or responsiveness to (non-exCTRT) standard presurgical chemoradiotherapy (CTRT) regimens under accredited certified laboratory protocols.
According to validation studies, the DecisionDx-EC test (Castle Biosciences, Inc.; Friendswood, TX, USA) can reliably differentiate patients who are complete or partial responders to chemoradiotherapy from those who are non-responders. An initial, single center clinical validation study of 167 patients, which was used as training set for the current validation study, achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.96 and an overall accuracy of 90%. The second validation, enrolled 64 patients from two independent institutions, and achieved an AUC of 0.96 and an overall accuracy of 84% for classifying which patients are likely to be highly resistant to presurgical chemotherapy treatment for esophageal cancer.
Derek Maetzold, BS, MBA, the President and CEO of Castle Biosciences, said, “Publication of these results is a culmination of our extensive program to analytically and clinically validate a new predictive test for esophageal cancer. DecisionDx-EC fits well within our strategy of developing and commercializing valuable prognostic tests that help physicians to select the most appropriate care for their patients.” The study was published on February 19, 2015, in the journal Gastrointestinal Cancer: Targets and Therapy.
Related Links:
Baylor College of Medicine
Castle Biosciences, Inc.
Latest Pathology News
- AI Uses H&E Slides to Predict Key Biomarkers Across 32 Cancers
- AI Tool Identifies Slide Artifacts to Speed Digital Pathology Diagnosis
- FDA-Cleared Digital Pathology Platform Expands Interoperability for Primary Diagnosis
- AI Pathology Tool Predicts Relapse Risk in Stage II Colorectal Cancer
- AI Pathology Tool Stratifies Rectal Cancer to Guide Chemoradiotherapy
- PD-L1 Assay Guides Pembrolizumab Eligibility in Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, and Peritoneal Cancers
- AI Digital Pathology Platform Standardizes IHC Scoring in Breast Cancer
- AI Bone Marrow Mapping Provides New Tool to Track Blood Cancer Severity
- Digital Pathology Tool Predicts Breast Cancer Outcomes and Therapy Response
- AI Tissue Imaging Helps Guide Targeted Therapy for Lung Cancer
- Imaging Platform Maps Lipid Accumulations in Fabry Heart Tissue
- Tissue-Based Gene Signature Signals Colorectal Cancer Recurrence Risk
- FDA-Approved Companion Diagnostic Detects PTEN Loss in Prostate Cancer
- New AI Test Delivers Rapid Breast Cancer Recurrence Predictions
- EBV Status Helps Predict Survival in Primary CNS Lymphoma
- AI Pathology Tool Predicts Immunotherapy Response in Rare Cancers
Channels
Clinical Chemistry
view channel
Rapid Breath Sensor Detects SARS-CoV-2 from Exhaled Air
Nasal swabs and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing have been central to identifying SARS-CoV-2, but they can be uncomfortable, slow, and logistically complex when samples require transport.... Read more
Head-to-Head Study Compares Blood Tests for Early Alzheimer’s Disease Detection
Accurate, scalable diagnostics are becoming increasingly important as disease-modifying therapies reshape Alzheimer’s disease care, yet many patients still rely on invasive cerebrospinal fluid sampling... Read more
Mathematical Biomarkers Use Routine Blood Tests to Guide Adaptive Prostate Cancer Therapy
Personalizing systemic therapy for prostate cancer remains challenging because tumors can evolve under treatment pressure, driving resistance and early relapse. Continuous high-dose regimens may initially... Read moreMolecular Diagnostics
view channel
Multi-Omics Analysis Identifies Additional Risk Genes in Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer
Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer can be difficult to explain genetically, leaving many high-risk families without clear answers. Although 13 established risk genes, including BRCA1 and BRCA2, are routinely... Read more
Machine Learning Approach Expands Epigenetic Testing for Prenatal Genetic Disorders
Prenatal genetic testing is increasingly used to identify potential neurodevelopmental conditions, but results often include variants of uncertain significance that clinicians cannot confidently classify.... Read more
New Liquid Biopsy Workflow Maximizes Tumor Signals from Limited Blood Samples
Liquid biopsy seeks to detect tumor-derived signals from small blood samples, but circulating cell-free DNA is scarce and heterogeneous, limiting sensitivity. Combining complementary signals such as methylation,... Read more
Blood Test for Lung Cancer Screening Receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, yet only about 18% of people eligible for screening undergo low-dose computed tomography, the current guideline-recommended method.... Read moreHematology
view channel
New Genetic Findings Reveal Cause of Bone Marrow Failure Syndrome
Inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (IBMFS) impair the bone marrow’s ability to produce sufficient healthy blood cells and are associated with an increased risk of early-onset myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).... Read more
Ultra-Portable Device Enables Finger-Prick Blood Testing at Home
Patients who need frequent blood tests often face repeated clinic visits that burden services and disrupt care. In the UK, millions of tests are performed each year to diagnose disease, guide therapy,... Read moreImmunology
view channel
Immune Biomarkers May Predict Recurrent Checkpoint Inhibitor Arthritis
Inflammatory arthritis is a recognized immune-related adverse event in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for cancer. Between 20% and 50% of affected patients experience more than... Read more
Immune Cell Blood Test May Predict Melanoma Immunotherapy Response
Melanoma remains one of the deadliest skin cancers, although outcomes improve markedly when the disease is detected early. Immunotherapy has extended survival for many patients with advanced melanoma,... Read moreMicrobiology
view channel
Surveillance and Susceptibility Testing Track Rising Candida Auris in U.S.
Drug-resistant fungal infections are straining infection control and treatment in hospitals and long-term care facilities, where rapid transmission can lead to severe outcomes. Candida auris has expanded... Read more
Plasma Cell-Free DNA Test Enables Earlier Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Infections
Invasive fungal infections disproportionately affect immunocompromised patients, while diagnostic delays can contribute to substantial morbidity and mortality. Existing methods often depend on invasive... Read moreTechnology
view channel
Interoperable Data Platform Standardizes Multi-Cancer Blood Test Results
Proteotype Diagnostics has introduced Alchemi, a proprietary data and clinical workflow platform being developed for Enlighten, the company’s investigational blood-based multi-cancer test.... Read more
Training Device Improves Accuracy of Pooled Molecular Diagnostics
High-throughput molecular diagnostics have transformed infectious disease detection, but many workflows remain difficult to execute accurately without extensive training. Sample pooling can cut per‑test... Read more
New CE-Certified Software Advances Whole-Genome Cancer Testing
European hospitals are increasingly using comprehensive tumor genomics to guide therapy, but routine whole genome sequencing (WGS) requires validated, regulation-compliant workflows. A newly CE-certified... Read more
National Rare Disease Registry Standardizes Genetic and Clinical Data for Coordinated Care
Rare diseases collectively impose a significant clinical burden despite their individual rarity, often involving multisystem presentations and prolonged diagnostic journeys. Limited specialist expertise... Read moreIndustry
view channel
Strategic Collaboration Expands Commercial Access to Oncology Companion Diagnostics
CellCarta, a global CRO laboratory serving the biopharmaceutical industry, has announced a strategic collaboration with Tempus AI to broaden access to companion diagnostics (CDx) in oncology.... Read more







