Latest news with #CraigEagle
Business Wire
29-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
New RADIOHEAD Study Validates Use of Guardant Reveal Tissue-Free Monitoring for Earlier Detection of Immunotherapy Response in Advanced Cancer
PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Guardant Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: GH), a leading precision oncology company, today announced the first clinical readout from their collaboration in the RADIOHEAD study with the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI), a network of the largest concentration of immuno-oncology (IO) expertise in the world. The data, published today in Cancer Research Communications, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, found that Guardant Reveal successfully detected responses to immunotherapy across multiple solid tumor types in advanced stage cancer patients and identified non-responders more than three months—and in some cases nearly five months—before disease progression was visible by standard methods. Approximately 30% of patients with advanced-stage cancer receive immunotherapy treatment, with varying degree and duration of response. This study analyzed a large cohort of more than 500 patients with various advanced solid tumors, including lung, skin, head and neck, breast, GI, GU, and gynecologic cancers, receiving immunotherapy in a real-world setting to assess if blood-based monitoring could predict response accurately and faster than standard of care methods. The strong association found between long-term patient outcomes and changes in tumor fraction as measured with the tissue-free, methylation-based Guardant Reveal supports the use of blood-based monitoring to help predict treatment response and improve decision-making in cancer care. 'Precise serial monitoring at the molecular level provides real value to oncologists and to patients using immunotherapy,' said Craig Eagle, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Guardant Health. 'This study shows that Guardant Reveal has the potential to revolutionize how oncologists assess patient response, identifying earlier insights that can empower them to make informed decisions faster and improve patient outcome and quality of care.' 'Our RADIOHEAD study of Guardant Reveal in advanced stage cancers provides patients with a new caliber of precision monitoring in order to create better patient outcomes,' said Tarak Mody, PhD, Chief Business Officer at PICI. 'These findings exemplify PICI's commitment to forging mission-driven partnerships to bring cutting-edge technology into clinical practice, accelerate discoveries, and advance the development of curative immune therapies for patients.' Key study findings include: The full manuscript in Cancer Research Communications is available here. About Guardant Health Guardant Health is a leading precision oncology company focused on guarding wellness and giving every person more time free from cancer. Founded in 2012, Guardant is transforming patient care and accelerating new cancer therapies by providing critical insights into what drives disease through its advanced blood and tissue tests, real-world data and AI analytics. Guardant tests help improve outcomes across all stages of care, including screening to find cancer early, monitoring for recurrence in early-stage cancer, and treatment selection for patients with advanced cancer. For more information, visit and follow the company on LinkedIn, X (Twitter) and Facebook. About RADIOHEAD The RADIOHEAD (Resistance Drivers for Immuno-Oncology Patients Interrogated by Harmonized Molecular Datasets) program is a pan-tumor, prospective cohort study of 1,070 immunotherapy-naïve patients receiving standard-of-care immune checkpoint inhibitor regimens. Conducted across 49 U.S. community oncology clinics, the study includes over 3,700 longitudinal blood samples collected at pretreatment, early on-treatment, and immune-related adverse event timepoints, with a focus on major immuno-oncology indications such as non-small cell lung cancer (~1,400 samples) and malignant melanoma (~500 samples). Multi-omic profiling (including circulating tumor DNA analysis, whole-exome sequencing, transcriptomics, high-dimensional immune profiling, and serum proteomics) is paired with detailed clinical and demographic data to enable deep translational insights. This comprehensive dataset provides a unique opportunity to uncover mechanisms of response, resistance, and toxicity, and to apply machine learning approaches to explore immune and disease pathways. Guardant Health Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws, including statements regarding the potential utilities, values, benefits and advantages of Guardant Health's liquid biopsy tests or assays, which involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results and expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions, and actual outcomes and results could differ materially from these statements due to a number of factors. These and additional risks and uncertainties that could affect Guardant Health's financial and operating results and cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release include those discussed under the captions 'Risk Factors' and 'Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation' and elsewhere in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and in its other reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Guardant Health as of the date hereof, and Guardant Health disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements provided to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Guardant Health's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
Business Wire
15-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
First Patient Enrolled in National Cancer Institute's Vanguard Study Evaluating Guardant Health's Shield Multi-Cancer Detection Test
PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Guardant Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: GH), a leading precision oncology company, today announced that patient enrollment has begun in the National Cancer Institute (NCI)'s Vanguard Study to evaluate emerging multi-cancer detection (MCD) technology. Guardant's Shield™ MCD test was selected for use in the four-year study, which aims to enroll up to 24,000 patients and evaluate the use of MCD tests—blood tests that can screen for several types of cancer simultaneously—in future randomized controlled trials. Guardant's Shield MCD test was chosen for the study based on the overall performance of its Shield platform in detecting 10 cancer types, including lung, breast, colorectal, prostate, bladder, ovarian, pancreatic, esophageal, liver and gastric. The data were presented at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago. The Vanguard study was initiated following review and approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as part of the NCI's submission for an investigational device exemption (IDE). 'New screening technology like the Shield MCD test has the potential to detect multiple cancers earlier through a simple blood draw,' said Craig Eagle, MD, Guardant Health Global Chief Medical Officer. 'The earlier we can screen and diagnose cancers, the more options we can bring to patients and ultimately the more lives we can save. The Vanguard Study is a critical step in research to evaluate the role of this breakthrough technology in helping reduce cancer deaths.' The Vanguard Study, conducted by the Cancer Screening Research, a new NCI-sponsored clinical trials network, is enrolling individuals ages 45-75 who do not currently have cancer and who have not received a cancer diagnosis in the past five years. All participants will be offered standard cancer screenings as part of their care. Results from the study will inform the design of a much larger randomized controlled trial to evaluate the use of MCD tests for cancer screening. 'Initiation of the Vanguard Study is an exciting milestone, as we look to evaluate a new way to screen for cancer,' said Scott Ramsey, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Hutchinson Institute for Cancer Outcomes Research at Fred Hutch Cancer Center and principal investigator for the Vanguard Study. 'The study will help us learn more about multi-cancer detection tests and assess whether they can help people from all backgrounds find cancer early, when it may be easier to treat.' The Shield MCD test recently received Breakthrough Device Designation from the FDA for the multi-cancer screening of multiple cancer types including bladder, colorectal, esophageal, gastric, liver, lung, ovarian and pancreas cancer in individuals aged 45 or older who are at typical average risk for cancer. The FDA grants Breakthrough Device designation to a limited set of qualifying devices that have the potential to provide more effective treatment or diagnosis of life-threatening diseases, such as cancer, than current options. The goal of the FDA's Breakthrough Devices Program is to provide patients and healthcare providers with timely access to medical devices by speeding up their development, assessment and review. For more information, please visit the Fred Hutch Cancer Center Vanguard Study website. About Guardant Health Guardant Health is a leading precision oncology company focused on guarding wellness and giving every person more time free from cancer. Founded in 2012, Guardant is transforming patient care and accelerating new cancer therapies by providing critical insights into what drives disease through its advanced blood and tissue tests, real-world data and AI analytics. Guardant tests help improve outcomes across all stages of care, including screening to find cancer early, monitoring for recurrence in early-stage cancer, and treatment selection for patients with advanced cancer. For more information, visit and follow the company on LinkedIn, X (Twitter) and Facebook. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws, including statements regarding the potential utilities, values, benefits and advantages of Guardant Health's liquid biopsy tests or assays, which involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results and expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions, and actual outcomes and results could differ materially from these statements due to a number of factors. These and additional risks and uncertainties that could affect Guardant Health's financial and operating results and cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release include those discussed under the captions 'Risk Factors' and 'Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation' and elsewhere in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and in its other reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission thereafter. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Guardant Health as of the date hereof, and Guardant Health disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements provided to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Guardant Health's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New Study Published in ESMO Open Highlights Guardant Reveal's Performance in Detecting Minimal Residual Disease in Patients with Early-Stage Breast Cancer
LIBERATE Study: Guardant Reveal showed high sensitivity and 100% positive predictive value for relapse PALO ALTO, Calif., June 09, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Guardant Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: GH), a leading precision oncology company, today announced results from the LIBERATE study published in ESMO Open. The results in the peer-reviewed manuscript demonstrate the clinical validity and high performance of Guardant Reveal, the company's minimal residual disease (MRD) blood test, in predicting recurrence in patients with early-stage breast cancer. Guardant Reveal uses epigenomic (methylation) analysis to detect circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in a patient's blood without the need for a tissue sample. The LIBERATE study retrospectively analyzed 290 blood samples from 95 patients who were diagnosed with early-stage ER+/HER2- or triple negative breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy prior to surgery, half of whom had localized disease with no lymph node involvement. Nearly 40% had minimal or no residual tumor by pathologic assessment following neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Key findings include: High Sensitivity and Specificity: Guardant Reveal demonstrated 100% sensitivity for distant recurrence in patients with ER+/HER2- breast cancer (which represents about 70% of all breast cancers), and 71% overall, with 100% specificity and 100% positive predictive value for relapse. Significant Prognostic Power: Detection of ctDNA post-operatively was significantly prognostic for event-free survival (EFS), with median lead time of 152 days (range: 15-748 days) ahead of clinical recurrence (P < 0.0001). Nearly 100% of All Samples Evaluable: All patients with post-operative blood samples had MRD results available from Reveal, highlighting the power of a tissue-free MRD test among patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy, particularly the large percentage who have minimal to no tumor found at surgery. "This study underscores the clinical validity, robust prognostic value and high specificity of Guardant Reveal in identifying breast cancer patients at elevated risk of recurrence without the need for a tissue sample," said Craig Eagle, M.D., Guardant Health chief medical officer. "These findings reinforce the critical role Reveal can achieve in clinical decision-making, potentially transforming neoadjuvant and post-treatment surveillance strategies and improving patient outcomes." This publication adds to the growing body of evidence of Reveal's strong performance in early-stage breast cancer. Earlier this year, a peer-reviewed publication in Clinical Cancer Research focused on stage II and III triple negative breast cancer demonstrated 83% sensitivity for metastatic recurrence and 99.5% sample-level specificity. Post-surgical ctDNA detection was prognostic for shorter recurrence-free interval (P < 0.0001). Additionally, ctDNA detection at the post-neoadjuvant, presurgical time point was associated with a shorter recurrence-free interval in patients with residual disease at surgery (P < 0.0001). The full manuscript in ESMO Open is available here. About Guardant Health Guardant Health is a leading precision oncology company focused on guarding wellness and giving every person more time free from cancer. Founded in 2012, Guardant is transforming patient care and accelerating new cancer therapies by providing critical insights into what drives disease through its advanced blood and tissue tests, real-world data and AI analytics. Guardant tests help improve outcomes across all stages of care, including screening to find cancer early, monitoring for recurrence in early-stage cancer, and treatment selection for patients with advanced cancer. For more information, visit and follow the company on LinkedIn, X (Twitter) and Facebook. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws, including statements regarding the potential utilities, values, benefits and advantages of Guardant Health's liquid biopsy tests or assays, which involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results and expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions, and actual outcomes and results could differ materially from these statements due to a number of factors. These and additional risks and uncertainties that could affect Guardant Health's financial and operating results and cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release include those discussed under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation" and elsewhere in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and in its other reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission thereafter. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Guardant Health as of the date hereof, and Guardant Health disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements provided to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Guardant Health's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. View source version on Contacts Investor Contact: Zarak Khurshidinvestors@ Media Contact: Michael Weistpress@ +1 317-371-0035
Business Wire
09-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
New Study Published in ESMO Open Highlights Guardant Reveal's Performance in Detecting Minimal Residual Disease in Patients with Early-Stage Breast Cancer
PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Guardant Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: GH), a leading precision oncology company, today announced results from the LIBERATE study published in ESMO Open. The results in the peer-reviewed manuscript demonstrate the clinical validity and high performance of Guardant Reveal, the company's minimal residual disease (MRD) blood test, in predicting recurrence in patients with early-stage breast cancer. Guardant Reveal uses epigenomic (methylation) analysis to detect circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in a patient's blood without the need for a tissue sample. The LIBERATE study retrospectively analyzed 290 blood samples from 95 patients who were diagnosed with early-stage ER+/HER2- or triple negative breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy prior to surgery, half of whom had localized disease with no lymph node involvement. Nearly 40% had minimal or no residual tumor by pathologic assessment following neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Key findings include: High Sensitivity and Specificity: Guardant Reveal demonstrated 100% sensitivity for distant recurrence in patients with ER+/HER2- breast cancer (which represents about 70% of all breast cancers), and 71% overall, with 100% specificity and 100% positive predictive value for relapse. Significant Prognostic Power: Detection of ctDNA post-operatively was significantly prognostic for event-free survival (EFS), with median lead time of 152 days (range: 15-748 days) ahead of clinical recurrence (P < 0.0001). Nearly 100% of All Samples Evaluable: All patients with post-operative blood samples had MRD results available from Reveal, highlighting the power of a tissue-free MRD test among patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy, particularly the large percentage who have minimal to no tumor found at surgery. "This study underscores the clinical validity, robust prognostic value and high specificity of Guardant Reveal in identifying breast cancer patients at elevated risk of recurrence without the need for a tissue sample," said Craig Eagle, M.D., Guardant Health chief medical officer. "These findings reinforce the critical role Reveal can achieve in clinical decision-making, potentially transforming neoadjuvant and post-treatment surveillance strategies and improving patient outcomes." This publication adds to the growing body of evidence of Reveal's strong performance in early-stage breast cancer. Earlier this year, a peer-reviewed publication in Clinical Cancer Research focused on stage II and III triple negative breast cancer demonstrated 83% sensitivity for metastatic recurrence and 99.5% sample-level specificity. Post-surgical ctDNA detection was prognostic for shorter recurrence-free interval (P < 0.0001). Additionally, ctDNA detection at the post-neoadjuvant, presurgical time point was associated with a shorter recurrence-free interval in patients with residual disease at surgery (P < 0.0001). The full manuscript in ESMO Open is available here. About Guardant Health Guardant Health is a leading precision oncology company focused on guarding wellness and giving every person more time free from cancer. Founded in 2012, Guardant is transforming patient care and accelerating new cancer therapies by providing critical insights into what drives disease through its advanced blood and tissue tests, real-world data and AI analytics. Guardant tests help improve outcomes across all stages of care, including screening to find cancer early, monitoring for recurrence in early-stage cancer, and treatment selection for patients with advanced cancer. For more information, visit and follow the company on LinkedIn, X (Twitter) and Facebook. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws, including statements regarding the potential utilities, values, benefits and advantages of Guardant Health's liquid biopsy tests or assays, which involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results and expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions, and actual outcomes and results could differ materially from these statements due to a number of factors. These and additional risks and uncertainties that could affect Guardant Health's financial and operating results and cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release include those discussed under the captions 'Risk Factors' and 'Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation' and elsewhere in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and in its other reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission thereafter. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Guardant Health as of the date hereof, and Guardant Health disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements provided to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Guardant Health's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
Newsweek
01-05-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
Access Health: Cancer Research's Golden Age Is On Shaky Ground
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Newsweek is hosting a virtual panel discussion "Health Care and AI Governance: Making it Safe, Smart and Scalable," on May 20 at 2:15 p.m. Click here to register for free. I hope to see you there! Today is May 1, the first day of National Cancer Research Month. For this special edition of Access Health, I connected with some of the nation's leading oncology experts and asked them to take us into their world. I found good news and bad news on this foray. I'll start with the good news. There's an undeniable excitement in the field of cancer research right now. In some of my conversations, that excitement transcended into giddiness. Scientists who have dedicated their careers to this work are calling the current moment a "golden age," "something we've only dreamed of," "science-fiction" brought to life. "We are at an exciting time to unveil cancer like it has never been unveiled before, down to the molecular level," said Dr. Craig Eagle, chief medical officer of the precision-oncology company Guardant Health. Both biological and technological advancements have brought us to this period of rapid advancement and unrivaled diagnostic precision, according to Dr. Stephan Hahn, former commissioner of the FDA and current CEO of Harbinger Health, an early cancer detection company. "When I started in oncology 40 years ago, if you had said, 'I'm going to draw a tube of blood and find circulating tumor DNA in the blood,' they would have laughed you out of the room," Hahn told me. "That just wasn't a thing." Now, it is a thing. (Keep reading—we'll unpack some advancements in liquid biopsy and cancer screening in the next section.) By undertaking feats that were once considered impossible, like sequencing an entire human genome, cancer researchers have deepened their understanding of the disease in its many forms. And by investing in more precise testing methods to identify those many cancers, they've been able to deploy more targeted therapies. Recent cancer research has made it easier to screen for and treat certain cancers. Scientists told me that this wouldn't be possible without advancements in machine learning and AI. We now have the capability to search for answers in a much larger pool of genetic information and treatment outcomes, but without the right tech, that would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. This year provides unrivaled conditions for cancer research, as our deepening understanding of the disease coincides with the rising capabilities of AI. But certain headwinds are threatening that hard-earned progress, according to Dr. Karen Knudsen, CEO of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and former CEO of the American Cancer Society. Knudsen called me April 7 from the Parker Institute's annual retreat, which brings together scientists and venture capitalists from around the world to analyze advancements in the field and translate them into patient testing and company formation. She, too, described a whirlwind of excitement as "brilliant discoveries" are being made. But she also described a rising sense of urgency in the field to ensure that these discoveries aren't lost. "The science is growing at this incredibly strong pace," Knudsen said, "but the market's not been ready to accept this number of discoveries and get them the capitalization that's needed in order to get clinical trials up on the ground." Although the cancer mortality rate in the U.S. is improving, diagnoses are on the rise. Meanwhile, the federal government has threatened cancer research funding—a move that Knudsen called "a real concern to almost everyone in this room." The shortage of capital for life sciences, including cancer therapeutics companies, is already a limiting factor, she told me. Without NIH funding, Knudsen fears trouble: "I don't think there's any one organization or foundation that can replace the role of the US government." SpotItEarly uses a combination of scent dogs and AI to detect cancer in patients' breath samples. Above, a beagle sniffs breath samples. SpotItEarly uses a combination of scent dogs and AI to detect cancer in patients' breath samples. Above, a beagle sniffs breath samples. SpotItEarly Essential Reading Here are a few oncology research advancements that you should know before we get into them, take five minutes to fill out this surveyand let me know how you're liking Access Health! Immunotherapy could help cancer patients with the MMRd gene to avoid surgery, radiation or chemotherapy, according to the results of a clinical trial led by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The trial included 103 patients with several types of stage 1-3 cancer, treating them with Jemperli, a checkpoint inhibitor made by GSK. Eighty percent of patients did not require more aggressive treatments—previously standard for their types of cancer—after six months on the new finding, presented at AACR and published in NEJM on Sunday, builds upon a previous study that used the same drug to treat 100 percent of rectal cancer patients in their trial— in other words, each and every patient's tumor vanished. By extending the study, researchers have proven that the drug can kill other types of cancers as 5-10 percent of rectal tumors and 2-10 percent of other solid tumor cancers in the sample (including esophageal, colon and prostate cancers) are believed to be related to the MMRd gene. "These results could change how we treat some cancers," said Dr. Luis Diaz Jr., head of the division of solid tumor oncology at MSK. "Current treatments like surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy can seriously affect quality of life." The trial included 103 patients with several types of stage 1-3 cancer, treating them with Jemperli, a checkpoint inhibitor made by GSK. Eighty percent of patients did not require more aggressive treatments—previously standard for their types of cancer—after six months on the new finding, presented at AACR and published in NEJM on Sunday, builds upon a previous study that used the same drug to treat 100 percent of rectal cancer patients in their trial— By extending the study, researchers have proven that the drug can kill other types of cancers as 5-10 percent of rectal tumors and 2-10 percent of other solid tumor cancers in the sample (including esophageal, colon and prostate cancers) are believed to be related to the MMRd gene. said Dr. Luis Diaz Jr., head of the division of solid tumor oncology at MSK. "Current treatments like surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy can seriously affect quality of life." Harbinger Health unveiled new data at AACR showing promising results for its blood-based multi-cancer early detection (MCED) platform. "I think these tests should ultimately become part of a [routine] check-up so that people can be certain that they are well, and if they are unwell, things can be done sooner rather than later. The nature of our test is that it is not purely for specialists, but can also be used in the community, so primary care docs can use it to support their patients."Hahn: "100 percent, that's the vision. No one bats an eye at getting cholesterol checked every three months as you intervene to make sure it's getting better. No one even thinks about it—and that's the way this should become." so that people can be certain that they are well, and if they are unwell, things can be done sooner rather than later. The nature of our test is that it is not purely for specialists, but can also be used in the community, so primary care docs can use it to support their patients."Hahn: "100 percent, that's the vision. No one bats an eye at getting cholesterol checked every three months as you intervene to make sure it's getting better. The precision-oncology company Guardant Health is also making strides in blood-based cancer screening. At this week's conference, the company presented 18 abstracts highlighting its Guardant Infinity platform, which integrates blood and tissue testing to provide a comprehensive view of a patient's cancer. This approach captures changes in gene expression, DNA structure and methylation—allowing clinicians to track how cancer develops and responds to treatment over Craig Eagle, Guardant Health's chief medical officer, summarized the most relevant findings for me. Here's one that stood out: Guardant's platform has been able to identify cancer signals of origin, which show clinicians where to look for trouble after patients receive a positive test. New data presented at AACR revealed a more than 90 percent ability to identify the first two cancer "hot spots" in a patient. At this week's conference, the company presented 18 abstracts highlighting its Guardant Infinity platform, which integrates blood and tissue testing to provide a comprehensive view of a patient's cancer. This approach captures changes in gene expression, DNA structure and methylation—allowing clinicians to track how cancer develops and responds to treatment over Craig Eagle, Guardant Health's chief medical officer, summarized the most relevant findings for me. Here's one that stood out: Guardant's platform has been able to identify cancer signals of origin, which show clinicians where to look for trouble after patients receive a positive test. New data presented at AACR This at-home breath-collection kit from SpotItEarly is improving access to pre-screenings for multiple types of cancer by using a unique combination of dogs and AI. Nature study involving 1,386 participants. It also identified 14 other cancer types that it wasn't specifically trained to detect with 81.8 percent sensitivity—suggesting broader potential for this screening method. Pulse Check Dr. Boris Pasche is the president and CEO of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute and chair of the department of oncology at Wayne State University, both based in Detroit. Dr. Boris Pasche is the president and CEO of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute and chair of the department of oncology at Wayne State University, both based in Detroit. Dr. Boris Pasche Dr. Boris Pasche is the president and CEO of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute and chair of the department of oncology at Wayne State University, both based in Detroit. Before joining Karmanos, Pasche led Wake Forest Baptist's cancer center and chaired its cancer biology department. A pioneer in cancer genetics, he discovered a gene variation linked to cancer risk and co-invented an FDA-approved device for the treatment of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma who fail first- and second-line therapies. As both an executive and a cancer researcher, Pasche is tuned into the science and logistics behind oncology research. I was excited to connect with him this week for a pulse check. Is there a breakthrough or innovation in oncology research that you wish was getting more attention? Fill us in! In the past decade, there has been an impressive number of lifesaving innovations in cancer research and treatment. Some examples include CAR T-cell therapy, which uses a patient's own T-cells to seek out and destroy cancer cells, and the development of theranostics, which combines diagnosis and treatment using radioactive pharmaceuticals to both identify and precisely target cancer cells. More recently, I am personally very excited about what could be a revolutionary technology that will allow people to undergo cancer treatment in their homes with few side effects. Over more than two decades, my colleagues and I developed a treatment modality using radiofrequency electromagnetic fields to specifically target tumor cells without affecting normal cells. It is the first such treatment FDA-approved for cancer therapy, and because the treatment can be effectively delivered through a handheld device, it can be given at home. Right now, the Therabionic P-1 is only FDA-approved for certain liver cancer patients who have failed more traditional treatments, but we have several ongoing clinical trials that are researching its ability to treat other tumor types, which is very exciting. A promising attribute of this therapy is that patients who have used it have experienced practically no side effects, and it is the first systemic therapy using radiofrequency electromagnetic fields to target cancer at the cellular level, targeting tumor cells while leaving other cells intact. If it proves effective in other tumor types, I expect it to be an effective and side-effect-free weapon against many types of cancer. Which industry trends are you keeping an eye on, and how might they alter cancer researchers' strategies in the future? I am most interested in understanding how to incorporate AI into cancer research and treatment. We don't know for sure what changes it will yield, but it already has a direct application in radiology. For example, it's been shown to recognize specific tumor patterns potentially more quickly and more thoroughly than a human can. A human still needs to verify and certify those results, but we might get an additional level of security and accuracy by using AI to diagnose cancers more completely and accurately. AI is also poised to affect pathology. Pathology is a very complex field, but in cancer, physicians look at patterns of certain cells to try to define precisely where cancer tumors originated. AI is already recognizing patterns typical of certain types of tumors versus others, which is proving beneficial. One great hope is that pathology will get better and better in terms of providing a more exact diagnosis. Many patients diagnosed elsewhere seek second opinions at Karmanos. We know pathologists providing second opinions change the initial diagnosis received elsewhere 1-35 percent of the time. That is a good reason to pursue a second opinion, but it is also a large error rate, so we are eager to learn how AI might be harnessed to improve initial diagnosis. C-Suite Shuffles UnitedHealth Group made two changes to its leadership team on Tuesday. The company promoted Dr. Patrick Conway , who currently helms Optum Rx, to CEO of the entire Optum enterprise. Heather Cianfrocco —Optum's current CEO—was named executive vice president of governance, compliance and information security for UnitedHealth Group. Encompass Health tapped Patrick Tuer to serve as its first COO . He has held various leadership positions, including group president and regional president, since joining the company in 2018. Encompass is the largest owner and operator of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals in the U.S. Neil Cowles is the new chief information and technology officer at Kaiser Permanente, based in Oakland, California. He has been working as the health system's chief technology officer since last summer and will lead its IT organization in his new role. Executive Edge Dr. Christopher Flowers is the division head of cancer medicine at MD Anderson Cancer Center, based in Texas. Dr. Christopher Flowers is the division head of cancer medicine at MD Anderson Cancer Center, based in Texas. Dr. Christopher Flowers My running routine has fallen to the wayside recently, but after speaking with Dr. Christopher Flowers on Tuesday, I was itching to lace up my shoes and hit the trails! Flowers is the division head of cancer medicine at MD Anderson Cancer Center, overseeing 16 medical oncology departments, composed of roughly 450 faculty members and 3,000 employees. When we connected, he was here in Chicago for the AACR conference—and started his busy day with a six-mile run along the Lakefront Trail. As a lifelong runner and a health care professional, Flowers prioritizes physical activity, even on busy workdays. Here's a snippet of our conversation, where we discussed how he does it: "As you gain increasing responsibility as a health care executive, it becomes more and more challenging to fit [running] into your daily schedule . I don't have knees that are as good as they were 20 years ago or a schedule that is as permissive as it was 20 years sometimes that 17-mile run turns into a six-mile run, like it did this morning. But it's still great to get out and be able to enjoy the outdoors and to be able to build exercise into your daily habits. That's been one of the key components [of my routine], is that whenever I am traveling, I try to build exercise into the beginning of the day or the end of the day. . I don't have knees that are as good as they were 20 years ago or a schedule that is as permissive as it was 20 years sometimes that 17-mile run turns into a six-mile run, like it did this morning. But it's still great to get out and be able to enjoy the outdoors and to be able to build exercise into your daily habits. That's been one of the key components [of my routine], is that "The other component is trying to build exercise into daily life at work. When I first moved to MD Anderson, I lived a little bit more than a mile away from work, so I walked to work every day and walked home. Now I live about two miles away from work, so I walk to work about once or twice a week and then walk home. But building that exercise into the everyday component of life has really been a critical way to be able to maintain those healthy habits. There's almost nothing that can happen in a busy day, as a health care executive, that isn't gone or released after walking a mile or two home. [Then, you are] actually ready to be present at home with your family with all the stresses of the workday left behind you. I find that many of the challenges and problems that may not have been completely solved during the day, oftentimes get solved on that walk home or walk to work in terms of planning for the day. [Then, you are] actually ready to be present at home with your family with all the stresses of the workday left behind you. I find that many of the challenges and problems that may not have been completely solved during the day, oftentimes get solved on that walk home or walk to work in terms of planning for the day. "Exercise plays a role in essentially every study that we do in cancer care: in helping people to respond better to cancer therapies and preventing people from getting cancer." This is a preview of Access Health—Tap here to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox.
