Symposium Will Focus on the Impact of Molecular Profiling in Guiding Ovarian Cancer Therapy Selection
IRVING, TX, March 4, 2011 —  Caris Life Sciences, Inc., a leading biosciences company focused on enabling precise and personalized healthcare through the highest quality anatomic pathology, molecular profiling, and blood-based diagnostic services, today announced highlights from the company’s upcoming symposium, “Using Biomarker Expression to Guide Therapy: An Evidence-Based Approach for Gynecologic Cancers,” at the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists (“SGO”) 2011 Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer in Orlando, FL on March 6. The symposium features Dr. Daniel Von Hoff, distinguished professor and physician-in-chief at The Translational Genomics Research Institute and consultant to Caris Life Sciences; Mike F. Janicek, MD of Arizona Oncology; and John Geisler, MD of University of Toledo Medical Center. Symposium course director Dr. Robert Bristow, director of the division of gynecologic oncology at the University of California Irvine, will open the program by discussing the current role of personalized medicine in gynecologic oncology.
Dr. Von Hoff will summarize clinical data indicating that using the Caris Target Now™ evidence-based molecular profiling service to guide cancer therapy selection in advanced cancers can favorably impact the natural course of the disease. The esteemed panel of physicians and cancer researchers will also discuss new enhancements to the Caris Target Now service, including the addition of new biomarker assessment technologies, such as direct gene sequencing and Fluorescent In-Situ Hybridization (FISH), and a new biomarker profile designed specifically for ovarian cancer.
“Ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal gynecologic cancers in the US, resulting in nearly 15,000 deaths annually,” Dr.  Von Hoff commented.  “SGO works at the forefront of managing this and related gynecologic cancers, and this symposium will enhance awareness of the clinical utility of molecular profiling for patients with advanced gynecologic malignancies.”
Caris Target Now uses an evidence-based molecular profiling approach to provide treatment options for cancer patients, including women with ovarian cancer.  Data has shown that although ovarian cancer patients may have progressed on prior therapies, in over 98 percent of patients, potential treatment targets can be found and targeted with available therapeutic agents that might not have been considered for these tumors.  The Caris Target Now service can help physicians and their patients identify and navigate treatment options for this extremely rapid and fatal disease, often illuminating therapies that otherwise wouldn’t have been considered.
About Caris Life Sciences
Caris Life Sciences, a leading biosciences company, specializes in the development and commercialization of the highest quality anatomic pathology, molecular profiling, and blood-based diagnostic technologies, in the fields of oncology, dermatopathology, hematopathology, gastrointestinal pathology and urologic pathology. The company provides academic-caliber consultations for thousands of patients a day, through its industry-leading team of expert, subspecialty pathologists. Caris also offers advanced molecular analyses of patient samples through prognostic testing services and genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic profiling to assist physicians in their treatment of cancer. Currently, Caris is developing a series of blood tests utilizing the patented Carisome™ platform — a proprietary, blood-based testing technology for diagnosis, prognosis, and theranosis of cancer and other complex diseases. The company is headquartered in the Dallas metroplex, and operates laboratories at the headquarters, as well as in the Phoenix and Boston metro areas.
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Media Inquiries:
Holly Clark
Caris Life Sciences
214-596-7060
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