Molecular Testing Provides Supplemental Information on Cervical Cancer Progression

Because most cervical intraepithelial lesions caused by high-risk HPV spontaneously regress it appears that additional factors play a role in the progression of premalignant cervical lesions.

Markers that can predict the progression of cervical intraepithelial lesions and cervical cancer include, but are not limited to, HPV type, HPV integration status, and HPV viral load.

HPV-16 is the prevalent genotype associated with approximately 20% of low-grade cervical lesions, 50% of high-grade lesions, and 60% of cervical squamous cell carcinomas. In approximately 80% of HPV-16 positive cervical carcinomas, a truncated viral genome, which has integrated into the host genomic DNA, is present.

HPV-16 infections are cleared more slowly than other HPV types and HPV-16 viral load has been reported as a marker for persistent HPV infection. HPV-16 viral DNA load is also reported to be associated with high-grade cervical lesions and invasive cancer.

The test was provided and supported by Oncoveda Cancer Research Center (Hamilton, NJ, USA), established by Medical Diagnostic Laboratories (MDL; Hamilton, NJ, USA) to translate cancer research into diagnostic tools. Oncoveda uses the HPV-16 Status test in ongoing clinical research to evaluate other factors of HPV infection.

According to Dr. Eli Mordechai, CEO of MDL, "The HPV-16 Risk Assessment reflex test is an example of a tailored molecular diagnostic approach to address chronic, persistent, complex disease. This test provides the physician with unique valuable data that is essential to patient stratification, therapy, and prognosis. MDL's selective molecular testing platforms are specifically designed to address complex, chronic, persistent disease well beyond the identification of a specific pathogen, by incorporating factors such as molecular drug resistance profiles and genetic surrogate markers."

Oncoveda's goal is to understand tumor progression and response to chemotherapy, to identify cancer biomarkers and drug targets, and to translate discoveries into clinical tests and small compound therapeutics that will contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer

Related Links:
Oncoveda Cancer Research Center
Medical Diagnostic Laboratories