“A World First”: High-Sensitivity Cancer Screening Test Arrives in South Africa.
Blood-based “Trucheck” cancer screening test, developed by Datar Cancer Genetics, is set to launch in South Africa on 3 and 4 February 2022, the latter being World Cancer Day. This ground-breaking early detection screening test – the first of its kind globally – is brought to SA by the representative and distributing company, Unique Diagnostics.
With worldwide increase in the incidence of cancers, it is of utmost importance that a reliable, easy-to-access and affordable cancer screening test be used as part of annual health check by all individuals over 40 years of age. The Trucheck test has been customized to fit diverse needs of cancer screening.
Single organ cancer screening tests, such as Trucheck–Breast and Trucheck–Prostate, can detect earliest traces of the respective cancers from a simple blood sample. This creates a reliable substitute to mammogram and digital prostatic examination respectively. The broader panel Trucheck–Intelli can screen for 70 different organ-specific tumours in a single test.
The high-accuracy test is much more reliable than commonly prevalent blood tests for health screening. All the Trucheck tests are CE marked and IVD approved.
Datar Cancer Genetics Laboratory, which is a world leader in the area of personalized cancer treatment and early detection of cancers, announced in November 2021 that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had granted ‘Biological Breakthrough Device’ designation for its blood test to detect early-stage breast cancer, as early as stage 0.
Worldwide, breast cancer is detected in more than 2.3 million women each year. The objective of having early diagnoses of life-threatening diseases, such as cancer, is to ensure enhanced longevity, and even cure from cancers in many instances. Cancer survival rates dramatically increase from 22% at late-stage diagnosis to over 90% in the case of early-stage diagnosis. Early detection of cancers also guarantees lesser expense on treatment.
The Trucheck Intelli test uses a proprietary technology developed by Datar Cancer Genetics to detect Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs). Studies have shown that even Stage 0(DCIS) and Stage 1 cancers are detected with the highest accuracy through the Trucheck test. The test requires only 10ml of blood and can be used by any asymptomatic individual above the age of 40.
“We believe that detection of “circulating tumour cells” is a very dependable and accurate method for early detection of cancer,” says Dr. Chirantan Bose, Director at Datar Cancer Genetics. “It enables capture and characterization of functional components of a tumour, rather than surrogate evidences like biochemical markers, which are far less accurate for cancer screening. Also, being a blood test, Trucheck sample can be collected from the convenience of homes and does not require the individual to visit a hospital.”
Unique Diagnostics is a medical diagnostic sourcing company based in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa, with offices in Israel and Mauritius. Being a proponent of cutting-edge technology in lab medicine, Unique Diagnostics is committed to bringing the latest advances in cancer care and cancer diagnostics to South Africa.
Speaking of the upcoming launch, Gerard Du Toit (Director, Unique Diagnostics) says, “My world revolves around molecular pathology, so this is an exhilarating event indeed. We’re so excited about the development of Trucheck. We see huge potential in it and believe that countless lives can be saved through such high-accuracy early detection.”
“We expect Trucheck Intelli to be a total game-changer in the fight against certain cancers,” adds co-director Amit Navon (Director, Unique Diagnostics). “For example, people who have reason to believe they are at risk – whether through age, exposure to chemicals, or hereditary conditions – may now take early precautions and get peace of mind through annual testing. This is the first official non-invasive oncology precision test FDA BBD Approved, and we know it is the first of many.”
Unique Diagnostics will officially launch Trucheck Intelli in South Africa on 3 February 2022. The occasion will be commemorated with a webinar, hosted by MedTalkz, which will host medical professionals and media, on 3 February 2022 – the day before World Cancer Day. Dr. Chirantan Bose will address the virtual meeting to elaborate further on the Trucheck test and other modalities to improve survival of complex cancer patients.
About Datar Cancer Genetics
Datar Cancer Genetics is a leading cancer research and theragnostic corporation specializing in non-invasive techniques for screening, better diagnosis, treatment decisions, and management of cancer. The Company’s state-of-the-art cancer research centre is ISO, CAP and CLIA accredited with facilities in Guilford, United Kingdom and India. The Company serves cancer patients in South Africa, in collaboration with Unique Diagnostics.
Photo by Christopher Boswell on Unsplash
