Biocept Target Selector study monitoring tumor progression to be presented at breast cancer conference

Biocept Inc (NASDAQ:BIOC) announced Tuesday that results from a study using its Target Selector to monitor disease progression in patients with metastatic breast cancer will be featured in a poster presentation at the virtual 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) on December 9.  Vered Stearns, director of the Women's Malignancies Disease Group at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine will lead the presentation, titled "HER2 expression in matched metastatic tumor and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in breast cancer: Implications for profiling and monitoring of HER2 status to help guide anti-HER2 therapy." Despite improvements in early detection, one in eight women in the US will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of their lifetime, the company said. Approximately 20% of breast cancers test positive for the HER2 protein, and during treatment and with disease progression, the HER2 receptor may convert from positive to negative.  READ: Biocept sees 3Q revenue rocket four-fold, driven by coronavirus RT-PCR testing "Once breast cancer metastasizes, it may be difficult to access multiple metastatic sites or to perform serial tissue biopsies to determine whether HER2 conversion has occurred," Stearns said in a statement. "This prospective study was designed to evaluate the use of liquid biopsy compared with tissue biopsy for analysis of HER2 status over time." SABCS, founded by UT Health San Antonio, is a conference for basic scientists, physician-scientists, clinical investigators, breast care providers and advocates seeking an exchange of new information in experimental biology, etiology, prevention, diagnosis and therapy of premalignant breast disease and breast cancer. Biocept believes its tumor-detecting Target Selector platform can make a big difference for patients. "The ability to monitor changes in tumor alterations can provide critical information for physicians in reassessing options over the course of treating patients with metastatic breast cancer," Biocept CEO Michael Nall said. "We believe that our Target Selector is among the most sensitive blood-based tests for identifying HER2 amplification. It is highly gratifying to conduct this study with Dr. Stearns, a recognized leader in breast cancer research, and to have these results presented at the SABCS." Biocept is a molecular diagnostics company with commercialized assays for lung, breast, gastric, colorectal and prostate cancers, and melanoma. The company uses its proprietary liquid biopsy technology to provide physicians with clinically actionable information for treating and monitoring patients diagnosed with cancer. Contact Andrew Kessel at andrew.kessel@proactiveinvestors.com Follow him on Twitter @andrew_kessel