14:36 Cleveland Clinic Adds Breakthrough Test To Manage Bladder Cancer
New Technology Brings Greater Patient Comfort, Accuracy and May Serve as Early
Predictor of Recurrence
CLEVELAND, April 28 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cleveland Clinic Foundation
announced today that it has added a new, quantitative, non-invasive test using breakthrough technology to the management protocol for bladder cancer patients. The NMP(R) 22 Test Kit, manufactured by Matritech, Inc., (Nasdaq: NMPS) Newton, MA, uses a proprietary monoclonal antibody assay to measure the levels of a nuclear matrix protein (NMP), NMP22, in the urine. The test is the only, quantitative, non-invasive urine test for transitional cell carcinoma,
(TCC), the type of cancer responsible for 90 percent of bladder cancers. The Cleveland Clinic will use this bladder cancer immunoassay test exclusively for two years.
"The NMP22 Test has benefit over the other tests available for bladder cancer monitoring because it can detect cancers at a very early stage through a simple urine test," said Dr. Craig Zippe, urologist, Section Urological Oncology, The Cleveland Clinic. "NMP22 appears to be twice as sensitive as cytology, and may provide predictive information in patients needing aggressive management versus those who need less."
NMPs are found in the nucleus of cells where they contribute to the
structure of the nucleus and various cell functions. NMP22 is found in both normal and cancer cells in the bladder. As cells age, they routinely shed into urine and blood through a natural process called apoptosis. An increased level of certain NMPs may provide important information about cellular abnormalities including cancer. NMP22 is elevated in the urine of patients with bladder cancer, even at the earliest stages of the disease.
Earlier bladder cancer monitoring methods include urine cytology and
cystoscopy. Urine cytology, uses a microscope to check cells in the urine. Cystoscopy is performed by inserting a fiber-optic tube into the bladder through the urethra to look for abnormal cells that signal the return of cancer.
There are over two million people throughout the world who suffer from bladder cancer. There is a 70 percent recurrence rate for bladder cancer so patients must be monitored frequently to detect a recurrence as early as possible. Each year, The Cleveland Clinic, Department of Urology provides for 35,000 patient visits.
Matritech, Inc. is dedicated to the development of products to aid in the management of cancer patients. The Company has a number of NMP-based products in various stages of development including tests for early detection of lung, colon, prostate, cervical and breast cancer.
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation continues to advance the frontiers of medicine by providing state-of-the-art care in a multispecialty academic medical center model. Since its founding in 1921, the clinical and hospital care have been integrated with research and education in a private, non-profit group practice which has distinguished the Cleveland Clinic in American medicine. Today at the Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Florida, over 850 full-time salaried physicians represent more than 100 medical specialties
and subspecialties. Every year, the Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Florida provide for more than 1,182,300 outpatient visits and 49,987 hospital admissions from throughout the United States and more than 80 countries. The Cleveland Clinic Health System comprises The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Fairview Health System, Lakewood Hospital and Marymount Hospital. This not-for-profit health system will provide broad geographic coverage, a full continuum of care, improved quality and lower cost care to residents of Northeast Ohio.
/CONTACT: Rob Whitehouse of The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 216-444-8927 or Susan J. Reilly of The Reilly Group, 312-850-4002 or Stephen D. Chubb, CEO of Matritech, Inc., 617-928-0820/ |
