Cancer Check Labs, a leader in early cancer detection, announced that it has been selected as the exclusive provider of early cancer detection tests through Ways2Well, a regenerative and functional medicine clinic that provides telehealth appointments and personalized care plans for patients. Cancer Check tests will now be available to all of Ways2Well’s 52,000 patients across the country.
According to the CDC, approximately 4 in 10 people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Today, only 5 types of cancers – breast, lung, colorectal, prostate and cervical – come with recommended screening tests. Yet there are more than 200 known types and subtypes of cancer, with cancer surpassing heart disease as the number one cause of death in high income developed populations. The urgency for early cancer detection is increasing as researchers learn more about the dramatic benefits of early cancer treatment, however, many cancer screening tests are either too invasive, non-specific or prone to error.
In recent years, companies like GRAIL have developed early detection blood tests that utilize circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) detection technology to determine the likelihood of the presence of cancer. While a step in the right direction, ctDNA methods only provide a partial glimpse of the whole picture, essentially relying on scraps of DNA information and signals from which to extrapolate answers, often creating erroneous results, false positives and unnecessary subsequent treatment for patients.
In contrast, Cancer Check Labs has developed an entirely new way to screen for the presence of cancerous circulating tumor cells (CTCs) – rather than ctDNA – from more than 200 types of solid tumors with just a 40 ml blood draw. The cellular tissue from the blood sample is then processed and subsequently reviewed by a board-certified pathologist to determine whether or not CTCs are present. CTCs provide a profound level of insight into the whole, intact tumor cell, revealing structural and morphological characteristics which can enhance accuracy. The output of the analysis is a board-certified pathology report, the same output you would receive from a standard tissue biopsy. This first-of-its-kind level of detail and alignment with standard procedures is the reason why Ways2Well moved on from GRAIL to exclusively provide cancer screening with Cancer Check Labs.
“Our primary focus is on early detection and preventative care so that our patients can avoid complications from illness down the road,” said Danese Rexroad MSN, APRN, FNP-C, Chief Clinical Officer at Ways2Well. “A major part of that focus is cancer prevention, which can only happen if detected in its earliest stages. As a company that utilizes blood analysis to determine the underlying causes and risks for disease, we were encouraged by some of the ctDNA early cancer detection blood tests gaining traction in the market, but there were still concerns about their accuracy and limitations. That’s why it was so crucial for us to switch to a company like Cancer Check Labs who has changed the game with their ability to detect whole CTCs and can enable us to analyze actual cellular tissue.”
“We are thrilled to be partnering with such a renowned clinic that is dedicated to providing the most innovative and personalized care solutions to its patients,” said Sumit Rai, CEO of Cancer Check Labs. “Access to Cancer Check Labs’ game-changing early cancer screening can benefit both Ways2Well patients and the broader cancer research community by spreading awareness around the power of CTC detection technology over ctDNA and traditional screening methods.”