US-based Quest Diagnostics has announced the launch of a novel prostate cancer biomarker test through its subspecialty pathology business, AmeriPath, in collaboration with  Envision Sciences, an Australia-based clinical diagnostics company developing a pipeline of biomarker-based cancer diagnostic and prognostic tests in tissue and blood.

The new, tissue-based test service is intended to address the pressing clinical need for tests to help identify and differentiate potentially aggressive cases of prostate cancer in men. 

Quest developed and validated the laboratory test under an intellectual property license agreement with Envision for use of  Envision's proprietary biomarker and immunohistochemistry technology, which includes Envision's unique staining technology and novel biomarkers (named EV1, EV2 and EV3).

Prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent and deadly cancers affecting men. According to the American Cancer Society, about 1 out of every 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. A recent Quest Diagnostics Health Trends study showed that, more than two years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, diagnoses of prostate and breast cancer continue to lag behind pre-pandemic levels, suggesting more people are living with undiagnosed cancers now than prior to the pandemic. Although it is one of the most common cancers globally, existing prostate cancer testing methods, particularly for early, lower grade stages, have limited accuracy across pathologists.