According to the CDC, approximately 4 in 10 people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime yet the majority of cancers have no recommended early screening guidelines
Cancer Check Labs’ early detection tests are now available to 52,000 Ways2Well patients across 24 states and will be available through Ways2Well across all 50 states by year end
DALLAS, Aug. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Cancer Check Labs, a leader in early cancer detection, announced today 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.”
Cancer Check Labs is making significant contributions to cancer screening while ensuring quality and reliability. The test is available for purchase nationwide through Ways2Well and online at www.cancerchecklabs.com.
About Cancer Check Labs
Cancer Check Labs is on a mission to save lives through early detection. Cancer Check can screen for 200+ cancers by physically extracting whole, intact circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from a blood sample. Because CTCs have been detected in blood samples as early as Stage 0, Cancer Check arguably provides the earliest cancer detection test available today. Cancer Check Labs is headquartered in Dallas, TX.
The Cancer Check test is not intended to replace other established evidence-based screening, diagnostic, and medical guidelines and practices for the detection of cancer. Similar to other medical tests, the Cancer Check test is not perfect and has limitations to detect all cancers.
Cancer Check Labs’ clinical laboratory is registered under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA). The Cancer Check test was developed, and its performance characteristics were determined by Cancer Check Labs. The Cancer Check test has not been cleared or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. This test is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Cancer Check Labs’ clinical laboratory is regulated under CLIA.
About Ways2Well
Ways2Well empowers patients with a virtual, low cost, preventative care model that is convenient and affordable, reducing the headache of long waits in doctor offices, parking hassles and travel and waiting at a local pharmacy. By using a virtual model, the Ways2Well certified clinical team can spend an average of 45 minutes with each patient followed by 30 minutes of chart review and documentation for planning purposes for a total of 75 minutes versus the industry standard of 8 minutes per patient, so they can thoroughly review health history and diagnose underlying root causes of symptoms to create custom treatments.
Ways2Well was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.
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SOURCE Cancer Check Labs LLC
