Qiagen launches new test to guide breast cancer treatment

Qiagen has announced the European launch of its new Therascreen PITX2 RGQ PCR Kit, a new test for use in guiding the personalised treatment of breast cancer.

This represents the first clinically validated DNA methylation assay that helps predict the response of certain high-risk breast cancer patients to anthracycline-based chemotherapy, with the test having received CE-IVD approval.

It works by determining the patient's PITX2 DNA methylation ratio to identify which individuals are more or less likely to show beneficial response to anthracycline therapy, a form of treatment that does not benefit all patients equally, and can cause severe side effects.

The clinical performance of the Therascreen PITX2 assay has been evaluated in a retrospective clinical study, revealing that patients with low percentage methylation ratios demonstrated increased disease-free survival.

Thierry Bernard, senior vice-president for Qiagen's molecular diagnostics business, said: "We are very pleased to introduce this important test for personalised healthcare used to assess the best treatment approach for high-risk breast cancer patients."

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