Exact Sciences Corp. (NASDAQ: EXAS), a leading provider of cancer screening and diagnostic tests, will present three abstracts highlighting significant advancements in the development of a multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test. The results of a study evaluating a new multi-biomarker class approach showed improved sensitivity for early-stage and overall cancer detection. In addition, new modeling data estimate that adding MCED testing to recommended screening may reduce the incidence of stage IV cancer and, subsequently, cancer mortality over 10 years. Another new analysis from the DETECT-A study suggests that adding MCED testing complements guideline-recommended lung cancer screening without affecting adherence to current standard of care. These findings will be presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Special Conference in Cancer Research: Liquid Biopsy from November 13-16, 2024, in San Diego, Calif.  

“Cancer is on pace to be the leading cause of death in the U.S. by 2030. Currently, only an estimated 14% of all cancers in the U.S. are diagnosed through screening, revealing a glaring gap in patient care,” said Tom Beer, M.D., chief medical officer and vice president, multi-cancer early detection, Exact Sciences. “We believe MCED testing is our single biggest opportunity to combat these stark statistics, and the Exact Sciences team is committed to taking a rigorous, comprehensive approach to multi-cancer screening. The new data answer key questions about the impact we can anticipate with MCED testing if integrated into clinical practice.” 

A new study demonstrates the ability of a multi-biomarker class MCED test to improve early-stage sensitivity by incorporating a DNA mutation reflex approach to methylation and protein (MP) test results. When excluding breast and prostate cancer and at a 98.5% specificity, sensitivity increased by 28% for stage I cancers and 12.5% for early-stage cancers (stages I and II) in a case-control study, underscoring the potential of a three-biomarker class (DNA methylation, protein, DNA mutation reflex, or MP-r) test to improve the detection of cancer in earlier stages.

This new research will help inform the final design of Exact Sciences’ Cancerguard™ test, which is currently in development and intends to harness the additive sensitivity of multiple biomarker classes to detect more cancers in earlier stages.