Proteomics makes blood test breakthrough for deadly throat cancer
- James Pearson
- Sep 8
- 3 min read
ASX-listed diagnostics pioneer Proteomics International Laboratories (ASX: PIQ) has revealed a set of stunning clinical results for its simple PromarkerEso blood test for throat cancer, paving the way for the innovative test to be commercially released.
The findings have delivered a genuine medical game-changer. Proteomics says its PromarkerEso test has been shown to detect early stages of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) with extraordinary accuracy. The study involved 350 participants across two independent trials and delivered a near-perfect score with a minimum area under the curve measure of 0.97 across all cancer stages.
The test’s ability to correctly identify those with disease hit a sensitivity of 81 per cent for stage one cancer, 91 per cent for stage two and a perfect 100 per cent for stages three and four EAC. Barrett’s esophagus disease, which involves high-grade cell deformities and is a known precursor to EAC was detected at 93 per cent sensitivity.
By way of comparison, the much-relied-upon PSA blood test for prostate cancer carries an AUC of just 0.68 and sensitivity of 32 per cent using normal thresholds. By those standards, PromarkerEso’s accuracy looks nothing short of revolutionary.
The results have been published in the journal Diseases of the Esophagus and will be showcased at the upcoming 21st ISDE World Congress for Esophageal Diseases in Brisbane this month.
EAC is a common form of throat cancer, often sparked by chronic acid reflux, known as gastroesophageal reflux disease. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners says reflux drives 11.6 per cent of all GP visits in Australia, and troubles up to one in five people across Western nations. Reflux can cause EAC, if diagnosed late. EAC has a median survival of less than 12 months and a five-year survival rate of under 20 per cent.
The challenge has always been timing. Almost 90 per cent of patients remain asymptomatic in the early stages, meaning diagnosis often comes too late for effective treatment. That is where PromarkerEso comes in.
These new results have enormous significance, because if EAC can be detected early it can be more readily treated, whereas late-stage EAC has a very poor prognosis.
Proteomics International Managing Director Dr Richard Lipscombe
The current go-to method for diagnosing EAC is an upper endoscopy, which is an uncomfortable, invasive test that costs more than US$2750 in the United States. Although 6.1 million upper endoscopies are done every year, a staggering 90 per cent of EAC cases still slip through the cracks.
PromarkerEso has been able to sidestep the huge costs and discomfort of upper endoscopies by using four protein biomarkers. A proprietary algorithm marries the biomarker results with clinical factors such as a patient’s age, sex and body mass index to deliver a simple “traffic light” risk score, classifying individuals as low, moderate or high risk of developing EAC.
Esophageal adenocarcinoma is the seventh most frequent form of cancer and carries some of the highest mortality rates, due to modern Western diets and lifestyle factors. As such, the market potential for PromarkerEso as a diagnostic tool is enormous.
Moving forward, Proteomics is set to roll out PromarkerEso in Australia and has other territories marked to follow shortly. The test is also patent-protected across Europe and China and more jurisdictions are pending.
The company will launch the test through the same direct-to-consumer channel it is using for sales of its other Promarker tests, along with targeting sales through GPs and primary care providers.
With throat cancer still claiming far too many lives through late detection, PromarkerEso’s breakthrough could mark a turning point in global cancer care.
By offering a quick, accurate and non-invasive blood test that rivals or even improves traditional diagnostic methods, Proteomics International is opening the door to earlier treatment and better survival rates while gearing up for an assault on the multibillion-dollar diagnostics market.
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