NeoGenomics Launches NeoSITE Barrett's Esophagus FISH Test for Diagnosis of High Grade Dysplasia/Esophageal Cancer

NMeoGenomics NEO announced today it has validated and launched a laboratory developed Fluorescent in Situ Hybridization ("FISH") assay for the surveillance of patients with Barrett's Esophagus ("BE").  The test is highly sensitive for the detection of the presence of esophageal cancer or high grade dysplasia indicative of precancerous changes.  Approximately 3 million Americans suffer from Barrett's Esophagus in the United States, a condition which can be a precursor to esophageal cancer.  Although less than 1% of these patients develop cancer each year, esophageal carcinoma is frequently not detected until later stages, at which point therapy options are limited, extremely invasive, and often ineffective.  Therefore, early detection is important and regular surveillance is recommended.  Endoscopic examinations with multiple tissue biopsies to look for dysplasia and cancer have long been considered the standard surveillance procedure for BE patients.  However, current data suggests that an esophageal "brushing" may be more effective than a traditional tissue biopsy, because it allows for the collection of cells from a larger area of the esophagus for testing, which results in less sampling error.  Esophageal brushings are also generally easier and See full press release