Early Diagnosis of Breast Cancer is Now Possible Using Only 1 cc of Blood

Bertis to provide the service before the end of the year following successful commercialization...

Excellence of the technology recognized at a globally-renowned conference
 

<Yu-mi Kim, a Clinical Professor in the Breast Care Center of Seoul National University Hospital, presenting a paper at ASCO 2019>

An algorithm-based multimarker proteomics technology has been commercialized and is getting a lot of attention.
 
Bertis (CEO: Seung-man Han), a bio venture company, announced on the 4th that its technology for breast cancer diagnosis, “MASTOCHECK,” which uses an algorithm-based proteomics multimarker analysis with 1 cc of blood, was approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
 
MASTOCHECK is a multibiomarker-based blood test method that can diagnose early-stage breast cancer by measuring levels of three types of protein (neural cell adhesion molecule L1 protein (NCHL1), apolipoprotein C1 (APOC1) and carbonic anhydrase 1 (CAH1)) and running the measurements through a patented algorithm. Screening is possible using only 1 cc of blood. With its proven efficacy in detecting stage 0, 1 and 2 breast cancer, MASTOCHECK acquired a license from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for an in vitro diagnostic medical device in January 2019.
 
The technology has also been recognized globally following Bertis’ joint presentation of MASTOCHECK at the “American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2019” with a research team from the Breast and Endocrine Surgery Department of Seoul National University.

The research, presented in a poster session at the 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting held in Chicago, U.S.A., from May 31 to June 4, provided data on the accuracy of the diagnosis algorithm, and the repeated diagnosis and for other carcinomas, from evaluations of the clinical efficacy of MASTOCHECK in breast cancer diagnosis based on a total of 1,129 blood samples.
 
This diagnostic technology that has been attracting so much attention from researchers around the world acquired a license from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety early this year, and medical services are expected to become available later in the year.
 
MASTOCHECK is expected to provide considerable convenience in diagnosis for the general public or for patients who have avoided breast cancer screening because of the painful X-rays or breast prostheses, and is thereby expected to significantly improve the situation for the early diagnosis and death rates for breast cancer.
 
“The efficacy of MASTOCHECK in early diagnosis of breast cancer has been recognized by renowned cancer specialists around the world through ASCO 2019, the world’s top authority in cancer research,” said Seung-man Han, CEO of Bertis. He also said that Bertis would do its best to overcome the limits and problems of current screening systems and contribute to promoting early diagnosis of breast cancer, cancer with the highest incidence in women, through MASTOCHECK, a simple screening solution with proven accuracy.
 
Development of MASTOCHECK started approximately 10 years ago through joint research with the Breast and Endocrine Surgery Department of Seoul National University. This breast cancer technology was based on approximately 1,700 blood samples. Cases of breast cancer screening technology developed through such large-scale sample collection are very rare, not only in Korea but in other countries.
 
Common screening methods for diagnosing breast cancer showed low sensitivity, specificity and accuracy in Asian women, who have dense breasts in most cases. There has been constant demand for a more accurate and general screening method due to the discomfort caused by screening and the resulting decrease in compliance.
 
The current screening system has limits, considering the risk of breast cancer to the lives of women and the growing incidence of the disease.
 
MASTOCHECK, developed by Bertis, has obtained 9 patents from 4 countries - Korea, U.S.A., China and Japan.