By: Deborah Johnson Wood
A new FDA-approved blood test, the CellSearch System, can aid in the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer, and the Grand Rapids-based Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM) is one of the first labs in the country to offer it, illustrating the city's ongoing rise a hub for medical research and innovation.
The test is the first to automatically identify and count circulating tumor cells in a patient's blood. Doctors use the blood counts to determine if a particular treatment is working. What's more, the counts can be determined as early as the first cycle of treatment, so assessments can be made early on and treatment can be customized for each patient.
"In just one year, the CMM has made available to this community tests that detect and manage breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers in a more proactive and efficient way than has ever been possible," says Dr. Daniel H. Farkas, executive director.
Prostate cancer is second most common cancer in American men, according to the American Cancer Society. Skin cancer is the first.
The CellSearch test costs $495 and is covered by most insurance plans.
Source: Center for Molecular Medicine
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Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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