West Clinic Installs Region’s First Circulating Tumor Cell System Used in Monitoring Metastatic Breast Cancer

CellSearch™ System provides unprecedented monitoring of cancer cells which detach from solid tumors and enter blood stream

MEMPHIS, TN–July 18, 2007- The West Clinic, the Mid-South’s leader in cancer care, is the first center in the region to install the CellSearch™ System, used in monitoring metastatic breast cancer and the first diagnostic test to identify and count circulating tumor cells (CTCs), cancer cells that detach from solid tumors and enter the blood stream. The CellSearch™ System, developed by Veridex, a Johnson & Johnson Company, is the standard in a new class of diagnostic tools to predict progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer earlier than the current standard of care.

The presence and number of CTCs in blood provides valuable information for physicians in developing individual management programs for patients with metastatic breast cancer. The system’s sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility allow the physician to evaluate disease progression sooner.

For over 27 years, The West Clinic has aggressively introduced new treatments and state-of-the-art technologies into its armamentarium to treat breast cancer. According to Dr. Lee Schwartzberg , “The addition of the CellSearch System is the latest step in our continuous quest to provide the highest quality cancer care in Memphis and the Mid-South. We are excited to add this diagnostic capability to our cutting edge portfolio of laboratory testing, imaging and treatments available for patients suffering breast cancer”.

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer claims approximately 40,000 lives each year. The vast majority of these are a result of recurrent metastatic disease. Metastatic breast cancer occurs when tumor cells spread to other locations in the body and grow. Although there are many options for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, oncologists often have to wait until several cycles of treatment have occurred before they can determine if a specific treatment has been beneficial to the patient.

The CellSearch™ System helps physicians to predict if treatment is effective at any time during therapy through its ability to locate one circulating tumor cell in the 40 billion cells contained in a 7.5 ml sample of blood – an achievement no other diagnostic approach has been able to accomplish.

About The West Clinic

The West Clinic is the Mid-South’s premier provider of interdisciplinary cancer care with specialty providers in medical oncology, hematology, gynecologic oncology, diagnostic radiology, interventional radiology, endocrinology, rheumatology, pain & palliative care, internal medicine, and psychology throughout clinics located in Memphis, the Mid-South, and North Mississippi. www.westclinic.com.