Treatment Regimen Extends Survival

For Women with Cervical Cancer

Adapted from the NCI Cancer Bulletin,

vol. 6/no. 12, June 16, 2009

Making the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine part of the initial treatment of locally
advanced cervical cancer and also part of therapy following primary treatment
significantly improved survival for women with locally advanced cervical cancer,
according to the results of an international, phase III clinical trial.

Presented recently at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual
Meeting, the results have important implications for the treatment of women with
cervical cancer in developing countries, where 70 to 80 percent of women with the
disease are diagnosed at a locally advanced stage due to a lack of widespread
screening programs, said lead investigator Alfonso Dueñas-González, M.D., Ph.D., of
the National Cancer Institute of Mexico.

More than 500 women with stage IIB to stage IVA cervical cancer--from countries as
disparate as Pakistan and Panama--participated in the trial. They were randomly
assigned to the experimental treatment arm, which included cisplatin and gemcitabine
with concurrent external-beam radiation therapy, followed by brachytherapy and
adjuvant chemotherapy with gemcitabine and cisplatin. Women in the standard
treatment group received cisplatin and concurrent external-beam radiation therapy
followed by brachytherapy alone.

Approximately 75 percent of women who received the experimental treatment did not
experience progression of their disease 3 years after treatment, compared with 65
percent of women who received standard treatment. Overall survival was also
improved, with 78 percent of women in the experimental treatment arm alive after 3
years compared with 69 percent of women in the standard treatment arm. The research
team had expected more toxicity with the addition of gemcitabine, and that is what they
saw.

"Overall, the frequency of grade III and IV toxicities was higher in the experimental arm,
mainly hematological toxicity," Dr. Dueñas-González said. Grade IV toxicities were low
overall, he added, and generally toxicities in the experimental arm were "tolerable and
manageable."

The trial "in all likelihood defines a new standard of care" for patients with locally
advanced cervical cancer, said Dr. Eric Winer, chief of the Division of Women's Cancers
at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
 National Cancer Institute Funds
Second Year of Grant to Guided
Therapeutics to Commercialize
Non-invasive Cervical Cancer
Detection Device

Article Date: 26 Aug 2010 - 5:00 PDT

Guided Therapeutics, Inc. (GT) (OTCBB:

GTHP) announced that it was awarded $1.0
million to fund the second year of a $2.5 million
grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI)
announced in 2009.

The three-year grant provides additional resources to commercialize and bring to

market the LightTouch™ non-invasive cervical cancer detection device and single-
patient-use disposable.

The continuation of the grant provides additional non-dilutive resources for us to

complete the regulatory process, include design enhancements and begin
manufacturing LightTouch devices and disposables," said Mark L. Faupel, Ph.D.,
President and CEO of GT. "We believe that the award continuation also indicates a high
level of confidence in our technology by the NCI reviewers."

GT has been awarded approximately $6 million in six consecutive grants from the NCI
to develop the new, pain-free test for detecting cervical disease.

The GT LightTouch technology scans the cervix with light to identify cancer and pre-
cancer painlessly and non-invasively. The technology distinguishes between normal
and diseased tissue, by detecting biochemical and morphological changes at the
cellular level. Unlike Pap or HPV tests, the LightTouch test does not require a tissue
sample or laboratory analysis, and is designed to provide results immediately. The
technology is designed as a device employing a single-use disposable patient interface.

Results of a multi-center pivotal clinical trial showed that LightTouch detected cervical
disease up to two years earlier than Pap test, HPV test, colposcopy and biopsy. The
LightTouch is designed to detect disease early, when treatment is most effective, and to
eliminate unnecessary testing saving the healthcare system money.

Source:
Guided Therapeutics

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/198944.php