“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” describes, in one sentence, the efforts of today’s medical research. A significant amount of effort is being devoted to detecting cancer before it becomes symptomatic. These efforts focus particularly on the use of liquid biopsies (testing for cancer via blood draw). Another side of the same technological coin is the ability to determine an individual’s higher-than-average risk of developing cancer.
This December, Natera, in collaboration with MyOme, added another arrow to their already impressive quiver of diagnostic tools with the launch of an integrated polygenic risk score for personalized breast cancer risk assessment. This test reports five-year and lifetime breast cancer risk. It offers individuals who receive a negative result on Natera’s Empower hereditary cancer test the opportunity for further risk assessment using MyOme’s iPRS.
One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Given that, a tool that improves upon current methods and allows women with a higher risk to be more vigilant is highly likely to save a significant number of lives and alleviate substantial suffering.
Diagnostic Revolution
This announcement underscores an ongoing, quiet revolution in cancer diagnostic technology. 2024 already saw Guardant Health (GH) receive FDA approval for Shield™, a blood test for colorectal cancer screening. This is in addition to their Guardant360™. That technology helps determine what therapy to use on late-stage oncology patients across 50 different cancer types. GH are not alone in this mission. Other companies, such as Exact Sciences, Veracyte and Grail, are developing similar solutions or enabling technologies. These companies and others are part of the Diagnostics, Genomics and Precision Medicine subsectors of the ROBO Global Healthcare Technology and Innovation Index (HTEC).
Developments like this highlight the benefits of healthcare strategies like HTEC. The index identifies these below-the-radar companies. It also allows investors to benefit from the overall advancement in the space. That means they don’t have to predict which specific company will ultimately succeed.
Aging Populations Require Advanced Treatments
Liquid biopsies are unlikely to ever generate the same fanfare as weight loss drugs or surgical robots. Cancer is not, after all, the most fertile ground for influencers or traditional media to dabble in. However, the United Nations projects that, by 2050, one in four people in Europe and North America will be aged 65 or older. This represents a demographic with the greatest need for advanced treatments.
Early detection and personalized risk assessment can empower individuals to proactively manage their health. It could even potentially prevent the onset of this devastating disease. These advances in diagnostics hold the promise of a future where cancer is not just treated, but anticipated and potentially averted. This could ultimately improve the lives of millions. And that right there is the quiet revolution — a steady stream of innovation quietly transforming how we detect and treat the disease.
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VettaFi LLC (“VettaFi”) is the index provider for HTEC, for which it receives an index licensing fee. However, HTEC is not issued, sponsored, endorsed or sold by VettaFi, and VettaFi has no obligation or liability in connection with the issuance, administration, marketing, or trading of HTEC.
