With this weeks AUA updated best practice regarding PSA testing I think it's worth highlighting this support group as their recent Newsletter shows the strong contrast between the UK and the USA.
"The results of the the mass screening event in Norwich on March 5th raise two matters of concern.
One is that the 31 results found to be abnormal was 40 per cent higher than the average found at other similar sessions elsewhere in the country.
The second is that of the 219 men 68 told us they had been refused a test by their GP.
One of them was a man whose father and grandfather had died from prostate cancer and his younger brother had been diagnosed with it.
Yet, still his GP refused a PSA test -despite reputable medical studies showing that a man with a family history of prostate or breast, cancer is 2.5 to 3.5 times more likely to contract prostate cancer than a man with no family history of these cancers.
It beggars belief that there are still a few GPs who are so anti PSA-testing that they are,unwittingly, exposing their patients to serious, potentially life-threatening, risks.
They are just not following Health Department guidelines, which state that any man over 50 who requests one should be given a free PSA test.
This does not preclude any GP from against a test, but I contend that no GP has the right to refuse one.
I believe there is an urgent need for the local PCT to remind all GPs of this."
Newsletter March 2009 - Issue 26
Norfolk and Waveney Prostate Cancer Support Group Website
In my opinion and what I hope we will see is the adoption of or part of this weeks AUA PSA Best Practice Policy in the UK.
The report is an update of the previous AUA PSA Best Practice Policy 2000.
There are 2 notable differences in the current policy.
First, the age for obtaining a baseline PSA has been lowered to 40 years.
Secondly, the current policy no longer recommends a single,threshold value of PSA which should prompt prostate biopsy.
Rather, the decision to proceed to prostate biopsy should be based primarily on PSA and DRE results, but should take into account multiple factors including free and total PSA, patient age, PSA velocity, PSA density, family
history, ethnicity, prior biopsy history and comorbidities. In addition, although recently published trials show different results with regard to the impact of prostate cancer screening on mortality, both suggest that prostate cancer screening leads to overdetection and overtreatment of some patients.
Therefore, the AUA strongly supports that men be informed of the risks and
benefits of prostate cancer screening before biopsy and the option of active surveillance in lieu of immediate treatment for certain men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Prostate-Specific Antigen Best Practice Statement:2009 Update AUA-27th April
I think this man has played a major part in the new AUA guidelines-H.Ballentine Carter,MD Professor of Urology,Oncology Johns Hopkins Medicine Director,Division of Adult Urology Brady Urological Institute.
I can't remember exactly when this audio interview took place but was spot on in my opinion and has been now justified again in my opinion:
In my view the best information on PSA testing and the future that I have seen to date!
Tuesday, 28 April 2009
Monday, 27 April 2009
News-27th to 30th April (Updated-12 Posts)
Africans Have Greatest Genetic Variation USA-30th April
Study predicts dramatic growth in cancer rates among US elderly, minorities USA-30th April
50-year-old McEnroe talks prostate health USA-29th April
Cancer Awareness Critical among Minority Communities USA-29th April
10,000 people seek advice from charity on prostate cancer in three years Ireland-29th April
Prostate cancer awareness urged India-29th April
More diagnosed with skin cancer UK(Scotland)-28th April
Urology group supports use of PSA test USA-28th April
In my opinion this is an excellent update to the original 'AUA PSA Best Practice Policy 2000'.The two changes shown below are pretty major additions and should go some way in appeasing the many USA organisations eg The "New" Prostate Cancer InfoLink who have campaigned for men to be given improved information regarding the +/-'s of the two initial tests.
The report is an update of the previous AUA PSA Best Practice Policy 2000.
There are 2 notable differences in the current policy.
First, the age for obtaining a baseline PSA has been lowered to 40 years.
Secondly, the current policy no longer recommends a single,threshold value of PSA which should prompt prostate biopsy.
Rather, the decision to proceed to prostate biopsy should be based primarily on PSA and DRE results, but should take into account multiple factors including free and total PSA, patient age, PSA velocity, PSA density, family
history, ethnicity, prior biopsy history and comorbidities. In addition, although recently published trials show different results with regard to the impact of prostate cancer screening on mortality, both suggest that prostate cancer screening leads to overdetection and overtreatment of some patients.
Therefore, the AUA strongly supports that men be informed of the risks and
benefits of prostate cancer screening before biopsy and the option of active surveillance in lieu of immediate treatment for certain men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Prostate-Specific Antigen Best Practice Statement:2009 Update AUA-27th April
Merits of PSA screening affirmed in AUA Best Practice Statement
Apr 27, 2009
Urology Times Daily Meeting Report
Weighing in on the debate over the value and use of PSA testing, AUA today issued a new Best Practice Statement about prostate cancer screening that urges clinicians to offer the PSA test to well-informed men over age 40 whose life expectancy is at least 10 years.
Updating AUA’s previous guidance, issued in 2000, the current document asserts that, offered and interpreted appropriately, PSA testing provides information crucial to accurate diagnosis, pre-treatment staging and risk assessment, and post-treatment monitoring of prostate cancer. Further, the authors maintain that the decision to use the test is between a man and his physician.
"There is no single standard that applies to all men, nor should there be at this time," said Peter Carroll, MD, chair of the panel that developed the statement. "The panel carefully reviewed the most recently reported trials of PSA testing in both the United States and Europe before finalizing the guidelines. The strengths and limitations of these trials are reviewed in the guideline."
Among its key points, the Best Practice Statement states:
Serum PSA predicts the response of prostate cancer to local therapy.
Routine bone scans are not required for staging asymptomatic men with clinically treated disease when their PSA level is ≤20.0 mg/mL.
CT or MRI scans may be useful for staging men with high-risk clinically localized disease when their PSA is>20 ng/mL, their disease is locally advanced, or when their Gleason score is ≥8.
Pelvic lymph node dissection for clinically localized disease may be unnecessary if PSA is less <10
Merits of PSA screening affirmed in AUA Best Practice Statement AUA-27th April
Doctors Urge Baseline Test For Prostate Cancer USA-27th April
The American Urological Association (AUA) will offer journalists the opportunity to hear from world-renowned experts about prostate cancer screening and prevention during a special expert panel session on April 27, 2009 at 12:15 p.m.
Authors representing the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial, the European Randomised Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) and the Reduction by Dutasteride of Prostate Cancer Events (REDUCE) Trial will present data to the media. The panel will be moderated by William J. Catalona, MD.
The event will be immediately followed by a special press conference during which the AUA will unveil to the media its new Best Practice Statement on Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) testing. This guidance updates the AUA's previous statement, which was issued in 2000, and will provide valuable guidance about which patients should be offered the PSA test as well as when a biopsy is indicated following an elevated PSA reading.
Expert panel on prostate cancer screening and prevention AUA-27th April
Study predicts dramatic growth in cancer rates among US elderly, minorities USA-30th April
50-year-old McEnroe talks prostate health USA-29th April
Cancer Awareness Critical among Minority Communities USA-29th April
10,000 people seek advice from charity on prostate cancer in three years Ireland-29th April
Prostate cancer awareness urged India-29th April
More diagnosed with skin cancer UK(Scotland)-28th April
Urology group supports use of PSA test USA-28th April
In my opinion this is an excellent update to the original 'AUA PSA Best Practice Policy 2000'.The two changes shown below are pretty major additions and should go some way in appeasing the many USA organisations eg The "New" Prostate Cancer InfoLink who have campaigned for men to be given improved information regarding the +/-'s of the two initial tests.
The report is an update of the previous AUA PSA Best Practice Policy 2000.
There are 2 notable differences in the current policy.
First, the age for obtaining a baseline PSA has been lowered to 40 years.
Secondly, the current policy no longer recommends a single,threshold value of PSA which should prompt prostate biopsy.
Rather, the decision to proceed to prostate biopsy should be based primarily on PSA and DRE results, but should take into account multiple factors including free and total PSA, patient age, PSA velocity, PSA density, family
history, ethnicity, prior biopsy history and comorbidities. In addition, although recently published trials show different results with regard to the impact of prostate cancer screening on mortality, both suggest that prostate cancer screening leads to overdetection and overtreatment of some patients.
Therefore, the AUA strongly supports that men be informed of the risks and
benefits of prostate cancer screening before biopsy and the option of active surveillance in lieu of immediate treatment for certain men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Prostate-Specific Antigen Best Practice Statement:2009 Update AUA-27th April
Merits of PSA screening affirmed in AUA Best Practice Statement
Apr 27, 2009
Urology Times Daily Meeting Report
Weighing in on the debate over the value and use of PSA testing, AUA today issued a new Best Practice Statement about prostate cancer screening that urges clinicians to offer the PSA test to well-informed men over age 40 whose life expectancy is at least 10 years.
Updating AUA’s previous guidance, issued in 2000, the current document asserts that, offered and interpreted appropriately, PSA testing provides information crucial to accurate diagnosis, pre-treatment staging and risk assessment, and post-treatment monitoring of prostate cancer. Further, the authors maintain that the decision to use the test is between a man and his physician.
"There is no single standard that applies to all men, nor should there be at this time," said Peter Carroll, MD, chair of the panel that developed the statement. "The panel carefully reviewed the most recently reported trials of PSA testing in both the United States and Europe before finalizing the guidelines. The strengths and limitations of these trials are reviewed in the guideline."
Among its key points, the Best Practice Statement states:
Serum PSA predicts the response of prostate cancer to local therapy.
Routine bone scans are not required for staging asymptomatic men with clinically treated disease when their PSA level is ≤20.0 mg/mL.
CT or MRI scans may be useful for staging men with high-risk clinically localized disease when their PSA is>20 ng/mL, their disease is locally advanced, or when their Gleason score is ≥8.
Pelvic lymph node dissection for clinically localized disease may be unnecessary if PSA is less <10
Merits of PSA screening affirmed in AUA Best Practice Statement AUA-27th April
Doctors Urge Baseline Test For Prostate Cancer USA-27th April
The American Urological Association (AUA) will offer journalists the opportunity to hear from world-renowned experts about prostate cancer screening and prevention during a special expert panel session on April 27, 2009 at 12:15 p.m.
Authors representing the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial, the European Randomised Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) and the Reduction by Dutasteride of Prostate Cancer Events (REDUCE) Trial will present data to the media. The panel will be moderated by William J. Catalona, MD.
The event will be immediately followed by a special press conference during which the AUA will unveil to the media its new Best Practice Statement on Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) testing. This guidance updates the AUA's previous statement, which was issued in 2000, and will provide valuable guidance about which patients should be offered the PSA test as well as when a biopsy is indicated following an elevated PSA reading.
Expert panel on prostate cancer screening and prevention AUA-27th April
Friday, 24 April 2009
Early Prostate-Specific Antigen Changes
Early Prostate-Specific Antigen Changes and the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Prostate Cancer - Abstract
Friday, 24 April 2009
Department of Clinical Laboratories, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, USA.
To delineate how recent findings on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) can improve prediction of risk, detection, and prediction of clinical endpoints of prostate cancer (PCa).
The widely used PSA cut-point of 4.0 ng/ml increasingly appears arbitrary, but no cut-point achieves both high sensitivity and high specificity. The accuracy of detecting PCa can be increased by additional predictive factors and a combinations of markers. Evidence implies that a panel of kallikrein markers improves the specificity and reduces costs by eliminating unnecessary biopsies. Large, population-based studies have provided evidence that PSA can be used to predict PCa risk many years in advance, improve treatment selection and patient care, and predict the risk of complications and disease recurrence. However, definitive evidence is currently lacking as to whether PSA screening lowers PCa -specific mortality.
PSA is still the main tool for early detection, risk stratification, and monitoring of PCa. However, PSA values are affected by many technical and biological factors. Instead of using a fixed PSA cut-point, using statistical prediction models and considering the integration additional markers may be able to improve and individualize PCa diagnostics. A single PSA measurement at early middle age can predict risk of advanced PCa decades in advance and stratify patients for intensity of subsequent screening.
Written by:
Botchorishvili G, Matikainen MP, Lilja H. Are you the author?
Reference:
Curr Opin Urol. 2009 May;19(3):221-6.
Early Prostate-Specific Antigen Changes and the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Prostate Cancer - Abstract
Friday, 24 April 2009
Department of Clinical Laboratories, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, USA.
To delineate how recent findings on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) can improve prediction of risk, detection, and prediction of clinical endpoints of prostate cancer (PCa).
The widely used PSA cut-point of 4.0 ng/ml increasingly appears arbitrary, but no cut-point achieves both high sensitivity and high specificity. The accuracy of detecting PCa can be increased by additional predictive factors and a combinations of markers. Evidence implies that a panel of kallikrein markers improves the specificity and reduces costs by eliminating unnecessary biopsies. Large, population-based studies have provided evidence that PSA can be used to predict PCa risk many years in advance, improve treatment selection and patient care, and predict the risk of complications and disease recurrence. However, definitive evidence is currently lacking as to whether PSA screening lowers PCa -specific mortality.
PSA is still the main tool for early detection, risk stratification, and monitoring of PCa. However, PSA values are affected by many technical and biological factors. Instead of using a fixed PSA cut-point, using statistical prediction models and considering the integration additional markers may be able to improve and individualize PCa diagnostics. A single PSA measurement at early middle age can predict risk of advanced PCa decades in advance and stratify patients for intensity of subsequent screening.
Written by:
Botchorishvili G, Matikainen MP, Lilja H. Are you the author?
Reference:
Curr Opin Urol. 2009 May;19(3):221-6.
Early Prostate-Specific Antigen Changes and the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Prostate Cancer - Abstract
Thursday, 23 April 2009
Harvard Medical School Prostate Disease Website Guide(New April 2009)
I'll try and explain tonight why I have put this news in a post of it's own:
Lets get one thing put right,the PSA test will be here for at least the next ten years-fact! The reason being that the PSA test along with the DRE are and will be over said time frame the only cost effective tests to catch PC early IE Initial tests!
The main issue from my research is this wording "PSA screening" and especially in the USA.
From my research into the USA regarding this issue and what has become blatantly clear over the last few years is that the USA have been under a misconception (generally) that the PSA test is a direct test for Prostate Cancer (PC) which has led to unnecessary invasive treatments and being the USA you could conclude that this was money driven! (Ed-Steady there,Mick).
Continued after point 3:
1.Harvard Medical School Prostate Disease Website Guides Patients Through Decision-Making Process
Harvard Medical School today announced the launch of a new website to help men with prostate cancer and other prostate conditions understand the issues related to their condition and make smart, well-informed decisions regarding treatment. The website, http://www.harvardprostateknowledge.org/ , was created by Dr. Marc Garnick, an internationally renowned expert in medical oncology and urologic cancer. This website is especially timely given all of the recent discussion on prostate disease and the complex information that men and their families have to sort through.
The site draws upon the expertise of the extensive medical staff within Harvard Medical School and its teaching hospitals, as well as that of international thought leaders on prostate disease. It includes interviews and group discussions with faculty experts and first-hand accounts from patients and their families. The website also features video and interactive tools and will be updated regularly.
Harvard Medical School Prostate Disease Website Guides Patients Through Decision-Making Process USA-23rd April
2.Welcome! This Web site combines prostate cancer news, expert commentary, relevant clinical findings, updates on important prostate cancer research, and personal case histories to help you fully understand the important considerations in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the prostate. We hope you find it useful.
Prostate Knowledge USA-23rd April
3.Lets have a look at what Harvard are saying about the PSA test:
What you should know about PSA screening
Prostate cancer is extremely common, yet only 3% to 4% of men die of it.
Screening doesn’t lower your risk of having prostate cancer;it increases the chance you’ll find out you have it.
PSA testing can detect early-stage cancers that a digital rectal examination (DRE) would miss.
A normal PSA level of 4 ng/ml or below doesn’t guarantee that you are cancer-free.
A high PSA level may prompt you to seek treatment resulting in possible urinary and sexual side effects.
Other conditions, like BPH and prostatitis, can also elevate your PSA level.
What you should know about PSA screening
Now,this relates to Mediwatch and PSAwatch directly-First of all it's all very well that......forgot it's name.........Provenge vaccine maybe fast tracked through the FDA approval route but this is to add extra time once PC is diagnosed IE late stage (and i'm not knocking this in any shape or form) but what about PSAwatch which has the ability to carry out the PSA test with results in ten minutes at a cost saving so more tests can be carried out to an individual and so get a better picture and therefore make a better decision before 'diving in with the knife'! ?
Getting back to the initial point in that the PSA test along with the DRE are the only initial cost effective tests available for the possible detection of PC.Testing does not cause problems and more frequent testing can only be beneficial to enable the correct decision to be made from the start which may involve a PCA3 test even before a Biopsy!
With PC an individual needs to know the negatives and positives before embarking on the initial testing route and this over the last few years has been the case with the USA playing catch-up from what I can gather but just my view!
Regarding Mediwatch and PSAwatch it doesn't really matter if you call it a National Screening Program or making the public more aware in getting checked but with the +/- of the initial tests explained to enable a more informed decision...........that goes for the GP too!!!!
I will probably edit the above tomorrow night as it was a bit rushed!
Lets get one thing put right,the PSA test will be here for at least the next ten years-fact! The reason being that the PSA test along with the DRE are and will be over said time frame the only cost effective tests to catch PC early IE Initial tests!
The main issue from my research is this wording "PSA screening" and especially in the USA.
From my research into the USA regarding this issue and what has become blatantly clear over the last few years is that the USA have been under a misconception (generally) that the PSA test is a direct test for Prostate Cancer (PC) which has led to unnecessary invasive treatments and being the USA you could conclude that this was money driven! (Ed-Steady there,Mick).
Continued after point 3:
1.Harvard Medical School Prostate Disease Website Guides Patients Through Decision-Making Process
Harvard Medical School today announced the launch of a new website to help men with prostate cancer and other prostate conditions understand the issues related to their condition and make smart, well-informed decisions regarding treatment. The website, http://www.harvardprostateknowledge.org/ , was created by Dr. Marc Garnick, an internationally renowned expert in medical oncology and urologic cancer. This website is especially timely given all of the recent discussion on prostate disease and the complex information that men and their families have to sort through.
The site draws upon the expertise of the extensive medical staff within Harvard Medical School and its teaching hospitals, as well as that of international thought leaders on prostate disease. It includes interviews and group discussions with faculty experts and first-hand accounts from patients and their families. The website also features video and interactive tools and will be updated regularly.
Harvard Medical School Prostate Disease Website Guides Patients Through Decision-Making Process USA-23rd April
2.Welcome! This Web site combines prostate cancer news, expert commentary, relevant clinical findings, updates on important prostate cancer research, and personal case histories to help you fully understand the important considerations in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the prostate. We hope you find it useful.
Prostate Knowledge USA-23rd April
3.Lets have a look at what Harvard are saying about the PSA test:
What you should know about PSA screening
Prostate cancer is extremely common, yet only 3% to 4% of men die of it.
Screening doesn’t lower your risk of having prostate cancer;it increases the chance you’ll find out you have it.
PSA testing can detect early-stage cancers that a digital rectal examination (DRE) would miss.
A normal PSA level of 4 ng/ml or below doesn’t guarantee that you are cancer-free.
A high PSA level may prompt you to seek treatment resulting in possible urinary and sexual side effects.
Other conditions, like BPH and prostatitis, can also elevate your PSA level.
What you should know about PSA screening
Now,this relates to Mediwatch and PSAwatch directly-First of all it's all very well that......forgot it's name.........Provenge vaccine maybe fast tracked through the FDA approval route but this is to add extra time once PC is diagnosed IE late stage (and i'm not knocking this in any shape or form) but what about PSAwatch which has the ability to carry out the PSA test with results in ten minutes at a cost saving so more tests can be carried out to an individual and so get a better picture and therefore make a better decision before 'diving in with the knife'! ?
Getting back to the initial point in that the PSA test along with the DRE are the only initial cost effective tests available for the possible detection of PC.Testing does not cause problems and more frequent testing can only be beneficial to enable the correct decision to be made from the start which may involve a PCA3 test even before a Biopsy!
With PC an individual needs to know the negatives and positives before embarking on the initial testing route and this over the last few years has been the case with the USA playing catch-up from what I can gather but just my view!
Regarding Mediwatch and PSAwatch it doesn't really matter if you call it a National Screening Program or making the public more aware in getting checked but with the +/- of the initial tests explained to enable a more informed decision...........that goes for the GP too!!!!
I will probably edit the above tomorrow night as it was a bit rushed!
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Inverness Medical Innovations & PSAwatch
Inverness Medical Schedules Conference Call for 10:00 a.m. ET April 27, 2009 to Discuss First Quarter 2009 Results
Filed under News on Tuesday, April 21, 2009.
Inverness Medical Innovations Schedules Conference Call for 10:00 a.m. ET April 27, 2009 to Discuss First Quarter 2009 Results
WALTHAM, Mass., April 20, 2009 -- Inverness Medical Innovations, Inc. (NYSE: IMA), a global leader in enabling individuals to take charge of their health at home through the merger of rapid diagnostics and health management, today announced that it will release its first quarter 2009 earnings on Monday, April 27, 2009. The Company will also host a conference call beginning at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) on that date to discuss these results and other corporate matters. During the conference call, the Company may discuss and answer questions concerning business and financial developments and trends. The Company's responses to questions, as well as other matters discussed during the conference call, may contain or constitute information that has not been disclosed previously.
The conference call may be accessed by dialing 706-679-1656 (domestic and international), an access code is not required, or via a link on the Inverness website at http://www.invmed.com/. It is also available via link at https://event.meetingstream.com/r.htm?e=143196&s=1&k=B623F2CFEF254698763484BC6914EF4B. An archive of the call will be available from the same link approximately two hours after the live call has concluded and will be accessible for 90 days.
By developing new capabilities in near-patient diagnosis, monitoring and health management, Inverness Medical Innovations enables individuals to take charge of improving their health and quality of life at home. Inverness’ global leading products and services, as well as its new product development efforts, focus on infectious disease, cardiology, oncology, drugs of abuse and women’s health. Inverness is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.
For additional information on Inverness Medical Innovations, please visit http://www.invmed.com/.
Inverness Medical Schedules Conference Call for 10:00 a.m. ET April 27,2009 to Discuss First Quarter 2009 Results 21st April
Five year global distribution agreement secured.
Five year global distribution agreement secured with Inverness Medical InnovationsMediwatch plc (“Mediwatch” or “the Company”, AIM: MDW), the innovative urological diagnostic company, has signed a five-year agreement for the worldwide distribution of PSAwatch, its flagship point-of-care total PSA measuring system for prostate cancer, with Inverness Medical Innovations, Inc. (“Inverness”, NYSE: IMA) a leading provider of near-patient diagnostics, monitoring and health management solutions.
This is a very important and substantial distribution agreement for Mediwatch as Inverness has an extensive global sales-force which will complement Mediwatch’s own worldwide distribution network and provide the Company with considerably more market reach.
Inverness is recognised as a market leader with significant expertise in marketing point-of-care tests, which they already manufacture for other pathological conditions.
Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths with 670,000 men worldwide diagnosed with it annually. Approximately 10,000 men die every year in the UK from prostate cancer with over 34,000 diagnosed with the disease (Source: Cancer Research UK). There are 60 million PSA tests globally with PSAwatch the first quantitative, point-of-care PSA test in this £300 million market. It uses the Mediwatch Bioscan reader and therefore does not require laboratories.
Philip Stimpson, Mediwatch Chief Executive commented’“We are confident that this strategically important distribution agreement will deliver a significant revenue stream.
The market for point of care diagnostics is growing rapidly as a result of a combination of; the population aging, growth of local clinics, home testing and the need for faster, cheaper, more portable and easier to use medical equipment.“This is a significant development for Mediwatch as it means we can both actively promote worldwide the early diagnosis of prostate cancer, with portable rapid-testing equipment.
This is particularly poignant and gratifying for us, being a British company, as this is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in the UK.”
Five year global distribution agreement secured. 16th March
Filed under News on Tuesday, April 21, 2009.
Inverness Medical Innovations Schedules Conference Call for 10:00 a.m. ET April 27, 2009 to Discuss First Quarter 2009 Results
WALTHAM, Mass., April 20, 2009 -- Inverness Medical Innovations, Inc. (NYSE: IMA), a global leader in enabling individuals to take charge of their health at home through the merger of rapid diagnostics and health management, today announced that it will release its first quarter 2009 earnings on Monday, April 27, 2009. The Company will also host a conference call beginning at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) on that date to discuss these results and other corporate matters. During the conference call, the Company may discuss and answer questions concerning business and financial developments and trends. The Company's responses to questions, as well as other matters discussed during the conference call, may contain or constitute information that has not been disclosed previously.
The conference call may be accessed by dialing 706-679-1656 (domestic and international), an access code is not required, or via a link on the Inverness website at http://www.invmed.com/. It is also available via link at https://event.meetingstream.com/r.htm?e=143196&s=1&k=B623F2CFEF254698763484BC6914EF4B. An archive of the call will be available from the same link approximately two hours after the live call has concluded and will be accessible for 90 days.
By developing new capabilities in near-patient diagnosis, monitoring and health management, Inverness Medical Innovations enables individuals to take charge of improving their health and quality of life at home. Inverness’ global leading products and services, as well as its new product development efforts, focus on infectious disease, cardiology, oncology, drugs of abuse and women’s health. Inverness is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.
For additional information on Inverness Medical Innovations, please visit http://www.invmed.com/.
Inverness Medical Schedules Conference Call for 10:00 a.m. ET April 27,2009 to Discuss First Quarter 2009 Results 21st April
Five year global distribution agreement secured.
Five year global distribution agreement secured with Inverness Medical InnovationsMediwatch plc (“Mediwatch” or “the Company”, AIM: MDW), the innovative urological diagnostic company, has signed a five-year agreement for the worldwide distribution of PSAwatch, its flagship point-of-care total PSA measuring system for prostate cancer, with Inverness Medical Innovations, Inc. (“Inverness”, NYSE: IMA) a leading provider of near-patient diagnostics, monitoring and health management solutions.
This is a very important and substantial distribution agreement for Mediwatch as Inverness has an extensive global sales-force which will complement Mediwatch’s own worldwide distribution network and provide the Company with considerably more market reach.
Inverness is recognised as a market leader with significant expertise in marketing point-of-care tests, which they already manufacture for other pathological conditions.
Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths with 670,000 men worldwide diagnosed with it annually. Approximately 10,000 men die every year in the UK from prostate cancer with over 34,000 diagnosed with the disease (Source: Cancer Research UK). There are 60 million PSA tests globally with PSAwatch the first quantitative, point-of-care PSA test in this £300 million market. It uses the Mediwatch Bioscan reader and therefore does not require laboratories.
Philip Stimpson, Mediwatch Chief Executive commented’“We are confident that this strategically important distribution agreement will deliver a significant revenue stream.
The market for point of care diagnostics is growing rapidly as a result of a combination of; the population aging, growth of local clinics, home testing and the need for faster, cheaper, more portable and easier to use medical equipment.“This is a significant development for Mediwatch as it means we can both actively promote worldwide the early diagnosis of prostate cancer, with portable rapid-testing equipment.
This is particularly poignant and gratifying for us, being a British company, as this is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in the UK.”
Five year global distribution agreement secured. 16th March
Monday, 20 April 2009
NURSE LED CLINICS/MOBILE CLINICS (Updated 29th Nov. 2010)
As the Mediwatch product range lends itself to 'Nurse led clinics' I think a section dedicated to this subject would be of interest:
*************************************************************************************
I forgot to add this here relating to August 2010 update on Mobilewatch:
Let mediwatch help you expand your clinical offerings with a service to beat all services, a one-stop shop for all your Urology Diagnostic needs.
This exclusive online platform is designed to be easy to use, and allows you to schedule your patients for a range of procedures, which are performed by experienced clinical professionals using top-of-the-line equipment.
The mobilewatch clinical services package is
only available in the USA at present.
To view the full list of mobilewatch
features click here to download the
latest information sheet.
************************************************************************************
From the Interim Results released 28th July 2010 for the six months to 30 April 2010
Mediwatch launched the Mobilewatch Clinic division in April 2010 and served its first customer in the US in that month. Mobilewatch Clinic has been specifically designed to deliver lower healthcare costs in anticipation of the future implementation of the Affordable Care Act (March 2010) in the US.
Mediwatch Mobilewatch Clinic allows us to service medical practitioners, who may lack the volume of cases or the recurring patient episodes necessary to justify the capital equipment outlay, with our Mediwatch diagnostic tests without their need to purchase our equipment.
Mobilewatch Clinic offers a new service to Mediwatch's customers and opens up a new market segment to the Company which has not been previously available.
Research and development
New software application for the Mobilewatch Clinic division to increase efficiency and deliver cost reduction to our service customers
Development of a low cost urodynamic system and software package that is portable and easy to use aimed at the Mobilewatch Clinic business
Current trading and outlook
The Board is very pleased with the results for the first half, maintaining turnover and increasing profits despite the current economic and political climate having an effect on customer budgets. In the UK the government cuts will ultimately affect capital expenditure so we are addressing this problem in advance as we have already done in the US.
We plan to gradually launch the Mobilewatch Clinic diagnostic service in the UK and place bigger emphasis on our disposable products which come out of our clients' operational rather than capital budgets. The Board will continue to monitor overheads and will actively manage the cost base as appropriate.
Interim Results for the six months to 30 April 2010
From the 2009 Mediwatch Final Results
Services
A new mobile diagnostics service will be operated through skilled nurses, which will create opportunities to present a cost efficient diagnostic service to physicians, with no major capital outlay. This service will incorporate new diagnostic procedures which should launch in the first half of 2010 and will run in parallel to the change in US government expenditure in regards to reimbursement and presenting a wider medical facility to all individuals. Initial efforts will be concentrated in Florida with the potential to be rolled out to the other 49 states through our nurse network.
Mediwatch-Final Results for year ending 31st October 2009
Mediwatch Statement
"Mediwatch has developed a range of medical equipment for the diagnosis of a variety of clinical conditions. Mediwatch focuses it's design skills on unique diagnostic products that can be used with simplicity, across the medical profession, by healthcare providers with different levels of clinical expertise.
Mediwatch's research and development strategy draws on extensive clinical knowledge with a seamless interface between the point-of-care and innovation with cutting-edge technology."
Mediwatch Website
Also
"Mediwatch is developing more point-of-care tests, including a range of relatively high-margin pathology tests. The company intends to provide mobile screening clinics for private hospitals, clinics and nursing homes.
This is in line with Mr Stimpson’s original strategy when he launched Mediwatch in 1996.His aim was to provide a full range of diagnostic products and services, many with superior properties to what hospitals, clinics and surgeries typically provide, in areas such as diagnostic ultrasound and point-of-care biochemistry."
Mediwatch’s healthy growth prospects 8th April 2009
NHS Buyers' Guide-Urodynamic Systems UK-Dec.2008
Mediwatch response to the above:
Urodynamics
"A comprehensive, comparative assessment of clinical Urodynamic systems was performed independently for the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency. We are proud to report that this study found Mediwatch’s Urodynamic systems superior to those from competing manufactures (Laborie, LifeTech, MMS, Andromeda and Albyn). Mediwatch was the only manufacturer to receive a “Very Good” rating with five stars for its products."
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Examples of Nurse led Urology Clinics (New Section as of February 2010)
Lakehead Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic Opens-Canada Added 29th November 2010)
Revive Clinics-Australia (Added 28th November 2010)
Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust-UK(Added 27th November 2010)
Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand (Added 27th November 2010)
The Blackpool,Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Mediwatch & General News relating to 'Nurse Lead Clinics'
Emerging Statistics for Nurse-led Clinics UK (Scotland)-September 2010
Emerging Statistics for Nurse-led Clinics UK(Scotland)-December 2009
Sponsored session 3-Urodynamics/Setting up a nurse lead clinic
BAUN 2009 Annual Conference & Exhibition UK-2nd to 4th November 2009
Evidence for Nurse led clinics Australia-2009
Europe’s nurses:an untapped resource Cancerworld.org-March/April 2009 Edition
Mobile health clinics hailed a 'success' UK-April 2009
The findings of the first four full years of collection (2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08) are presented in the table below - covering nurse-led clinics in acute specialties and other non-acute specialties(Scotland).
Emerging Statistics for Nurse-led Clinics UK-Feb.2009
Nurse-led Clinics in Wales Help Expedite Clinical Trials of New Cancer Drugs UK-Oct.2008
Nurse-led PACs are fit for purpose. Guidelines for assessment and management are closely followed with minimal changes to treatment at consultant review.
Nurse-led prostate assessment clinics – are they fit for purpose? UK-2008
Surgery and Urology Directorate 2006-2011 UK-2007
Nurse Led Clinics and Nurse Prescribing UK-2006?
Interstitial Cystitis Towards a Nurse-Led Clinic UK-2004
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust - Nurse-led telephone follow up for prostate cancer UK-2004
This audit shows how a change in practice can significantly improve the patient's journey. For people with cancer, quality information, communication, continuity and overall coordination of care are all vital. As well as benefiting patients, this service development has resulted in a radical reform of the urology/oncology service.
The nurse-led histology clinic has had significant benefits for the medical team as well as the patient. The patients attending the consultant clinic are more informed, better prepared and have their staging investigations completed. This allows the consultant to have a more meaningful and productive time with patients to discuss management of their cancer.
The development and audit of a nurse-led urology/oncology clinic. UK-2004
Cost-effective analysis of conventional and nurse-led clinics for common otological procedures-Abstract
Abstract
The need to reduce costs while providing a first-class service has led to the expansion in the role of nurses in recent years. We present results of a comparison of the cost-effectiveness of conventional and nurse-led out-patient ear clinics. Our results indicate that cost-effective health care is a distinct competitive advantage for nurses taking up some roles conventionally performed by doctors. The difference in mean cost of out-patient visit per patient between the two groups is £75.28. This is equivalent to a reduction in cost to the hospital of more than £47000 for the 626 patients seen in a nurse-led ear clinic in a year. The nurse-led service is thus more cost-effective and presents an opportunity by freeing up otolaryngologists’ time to see more complex patients and has the potential for reducing out-patient access time in the NHS.
Cost-effective analysis of conventional and nurse-led clinics for common otological procedures-Abstract UK-2004
Nurse-led clinics for assessing men with lower urinary tract symptoms UK-2003 (Added Nov 2010)
NURSE LED CLINICS-GUIDELINES AND PROTOCOLS UK-2001?
Turning out to be a well documented sector,will add more later.
NEWS-Week ending 26th April (Updated-16 Posts)
AUA-Official News Reort for Sunday 26th April Mediwatch advert on page 30
Bladder Ca mortality jumps 30% when diagnosis is delayed AUA 26th April
New active surveillance parameters allow for more individualized patient care AUA-26th April
Pomegranate Juice May Slow Prostate Cancer AUA-26th April
The Silent Killer: Prostate Cancer-DVD USA-26th April
21,000 cancer diagnoses each year Northern and Republic of Ireland-24th April
Tennessee blacks' death rates of cancer explored USA-24th April
695,049: The number of cancer survivors in Canada Canada-23rd April
Focal therapy for prostate cancer: revolution or evolution? USA-23rd April
Lagos fights diabetes, cancer, hypertension in grassroots Nigeria-23rd April
MEDIA ALERT for Thursday, April 23,2009-Discovery & Challenge: The State of Prostate Cancer Research USA
Development of a New Method for Monitoring Prostate-Specific Antigen Changes in Men with Localised Prostate Cancer: A Comparison of Observational Cohorts - Abstract UK-22nd April
Companies should get BPA out of packaging:Groups Canada-21st April
Researchers Discover Potential Functional Role of Genetic Variation in Prostate Cancer Risk USA-21st April
Agent Orange exposure increases veterans' risk of aggressive recurrence of prostate cancer USA-20th April
Prevalence,Severity,and Symptom Bother of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms among Men in the EPIC Study:Impact of Overactive Bladder-Abstract USA-20th April
Bladder Ca mortality jumps 30% when diagnosis is delayed AUA 26th April
New active surveillance parameters allow for more individualized patient care AUA-26th April
Pomegranate Juice May Slow Prostate Cancer AUA-26th April
The Silent Killer: Prostate Cancer-DVD USA-26th April
21,000 cancer diagnoses each year Northern and Republic of Ireland-24th April
Tennessee blacks' death rates of cancer explored USA-24th April
695,049: The number of cancer survivors in Canada Canada-23rd April
Focal therapy for prostate cancer: revolution or evolution? USA-23rd April
Lagos fights diabetes, cancer, hypertension in grassroots Nigeria-23rd April
MEDIA ALERT for Thursday, April 23,2009-Discovery & Challenge: The State of Prostate Cancer Research USA
Development of a New Method for Monitoring Prostate-Specific Antigen Changes in Men with Localised Prostate Cancer: A Comparison of Observational Cohorts - Abstract UK-22nd April
Companies should get BPA out of packaging:Groups Canada-21st April
Researchers Discover Potential Functional Role of Genetic Variation in Prostate Cancer Risk USA-21st April
Agent Orange exposure increases veterans' risk of aggressive recurrence of prostate cancer USA-20th April
Prevalence,Severity,and Symptom Bother of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms among Men in the EPIC Study:Impact of Overactive Bladder-Abstract USA-20th April
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