An Australian-developed blood test has shown strong potential to transform outcomes for people at risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), one of the most lethal cancers worldwide.
Proteomics International Laboratories (ASX:PIQ) unveiled new results for its PromarkerEso diagnostic at the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus (ISDE) World Congress in Brisbane last week, where global experts gathered to confront the growing burden of esophageal disease.
PromarkerEso, a first-in-class blood test, demonstrated excellent accuracy in detecting early stages of EAC, the critical window for curative treatment. In a study involving 350 participants, the test demonstrated sensitivity of up to 91 per cent for stage two cancers and 81 per cent for stage one, with specificity consistently at 99 per cent. Results also confirmed its ability to identify Barrett’s Esophagus with high-grade dysplasia, the only known precursor to EAC.
“The five-year survival rate for esophageal adenocarcinoma remains below 20 per cent because most patients are diagnosed too late,” said Dr Richard Lipscombe, Managing Director of Proteomics International. “PromarkerEso is demonstrating excellent sensitivity and specificity across all stages of disease. By offering a simple blood test, we are giving doctors and patients a tool that could change the trajectory of this cancer.”
Professor Hugh Barr, a leading surgeon and expert in esophageal cancer from the UK, welcomed the results. “Early, prompt detection and precise risk assessment of esophageal adenocarcinoma will enable curative treatment for this disease. Advanced diagnostics, in particular PromarkerEso, are proving to be an important and effective way to transform the outcomes for our patients,” he said.
EAC is most often caused by chronic acid reflux, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which affects up to one in five people in Western countries. Traditional diagnosis requires invasive and costly endoscopy procedures, yet around 90 per cent of EAC cases still go undetected until late stages. PromarkerEso offers a minimally invasive alternative, combining biomarker analysis with patient risk factors such as age, sex and body mass index to produce a simple traffic light-style risk score.
The test, now formally launched in Australia, is available nationwide through physician referral or telehealth consultation, with blood collection facilitated by more than 2,100 sites across the Healius Pathology network.
Proteomics International says the test could reduce unnecessary endoscopies while helping prioritise those most at risk, offering a cost-effective pathway to earlier detection and improved survival.