Lucid Diagnostics' EsoGuard Test Accepted by NCCN Guidelines for Esophageal Cancer Screening

Lucid Diagnostics' EsoGuard Esophageal DNA Test has been referenced in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network's Clinical Practice Guidelines for Esophageal and Esophagogastric Junction Cancers. The guidelines now recommend non-endoscopic biomarker testing, such as EsoGuard, as an acceptable alternative to endoscopy for esophageal precancer screening. The update reflects professional society guidelines, including the American College of Gastroenterology's Clinical Guideline.

The latest update to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Clinical Practice Guidelines for Esophageal and Esophagogastric Junction Cancers marks a significant milestone for Lucid Diagnostics and its EsoGuard Esophageal DNA test [1]. The guidelines now recommend non-endoscopic biomarker testing, such as EsoGuard, as an acceptable alternative to endoscopy for esophageal precancer screening [2].

The EsoGuard Esophageal DNA test has shown promising results in clinical studies. In the ESOGUARD BE-1 study, led by Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine Nicholas J. Shaheen, M.D., M.P.H., the test demonstrated high sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) compared to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy [3]. The study involved leading academic medical centers such as Baylor College of Medicine, University of California-Irvine, Vanderbilt University, and University of Utah, among others.

This recognition by the NCCN follows the recent acceptance of the Cleveland VA screening study for peer-reviewed publication [4]. The study demonstrated the potential of EsoGuard in non-endoscopic detection of Barrett's Esophagus (BE) among high-risk individuals in a screening population.

The shift towards non-endoscopic testing in esophageal precancer screening reflects professional society guidelines, including the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) [2]. This change aims to reduce the number of invasive procedures and improve patient comfort, while maintaining accurate and reliable screening results.

References:

[1] Lucid Diagnostics. (2024, July 2). Lucid Diagnostics Announces Positive Data from ESOGUARD BE-1 Prospective, International, Multicenter, Single-Arm Study. [https://www.vbdata.cn/intelDetail/195121]

[2] National Comprehensive Cancer Network. (2024). NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology: Esophageal and Esophagogastric Junction Cancers. https://www.nccn.org/guidelines/esophagus/index.html

[3] Shaheen, N. J., et al. (2024). Use of the EsoGuard® Molecular Biomarker Test in Non-Endoscopic Detection of Barrett's Esophagus among High-Risk Individuals in a Screening Population. MedRxiv. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.11.240896v1

[4] Cleveland Clinic. (2024, May 1). Non-endoscopic screening for esophageal cancer: Results of a pilot study. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine. https://www.ccjm.org/content/101/5/e103