Cancer Diagnostics: Technology and Business Trends examines the current status of in vivo imaging applications and in vitro cancer diagnostic tests, as well as their future potential as important screening tools.

Cancer diagnostic technologies and assays are essential for the detection, diagnosis, and management of cancer. For certain cancers, methods are available for screening apparently healthy (asymptomatic) average-risk individuals. In addition, some cancers, such as cervical and colorectal cancers, can be detected in an even earlier, precancerous stage of development. For example, remote sample tests being developed by Epigenomics in partnership with Roche promise to identify more people with Stage I colorectal cancer and could dramatically decrease the mortality associated with this disease. These tests may enter the market as early as 2008/2009.

The diverse applications in cancer screening, monitoring, and diagnostics require a broad range of tools. Cancer Diagnostics: Technology and Business Trends profiles selected companies competing in this market to develop such technologies and apply them in novel and innovative ways. Topics evaluated in this report include the following:

• New molecular imaging technologies, such as positron emission tomography (PET).
• Advances in in vitro diagnostic colorectal cancer screening.
• Efforts to identify novel cancer biomarkers and develop new pharmacodiagnostic cancer tests.
• The field of pharmacodiagnostics—the development of tests to predict response to therapy or to identify the optimal therapy for a patient. Two examples of pharmacodiagnostic tests that are already being used—the DakoCytomation EGFR PharmDx test, and Immunophenotyping of leukemia and lymphoma—are discussed.
• Potential opportunities for DNA methylation tests.
• Market opportunities for current tests and emerging applications.

Related Reports--
Oncogenomics: The Future of Cancer Care
Hematological Cancer Therapeutics

About the Author

Lucy J. Sannes, Ph.D., is president of Sannes & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in evaluation and management of the biosciences. Before forming Sannes & Associates, she held management positions at Genetic Systems and Abbott Laboratories in product development, product support, and technical marketing. Dr. Sannes received her Ph.D. in biological chemistry from the University of Michigan and her M.B.A. from Seattle Pacific University.