PrognostiCheck®

Prognosis; it is a matter of life and death, How effective is that treatment?

Imagine a technology that reports the presence-severity-progression of any disease, the effectiveness of any treatment and the timing of non-acute death (we can’t tell you about oncoming buses). Well PrognostiCheck is it; we measure the phase angle which is an illustration of the vitality of cell membranes. Disease begins and ends on a cellular level. This level of the hierarchy of physiology occurs prior to where lab studies, imaging techniques and physicial examination come from so it takes (a little) work to understand it. However the results are a simple measured value; higher in health, lower in sickness, effective treatment stops it from lowering and causes it to rise. If your value goes below two degrees you die. hen you are diagnosed with a serious disese what your value is tells you if you will survive. The test is simple, inepxensive and noninvasive. It is precise (test, re-test reliabilit .99 out of 1) sensitive, specific and accurate (.98 out of 1).

If you are healthy it tells you how healthy you really are, did you recover from that injury or overcome your genetic heritage (the gift that keeps on giving). If you have one or more chronic diseases it tells you how frail you are, what the cumulative burden of the conditions that you have have done to you, if the treatment is working or do you (will you) have to do more. When you have a terminal condition it tells you about your death and enables you to make better end-of-life decisions.

The test is simple the implication enormous, let’s talk more!

Thank you,

Cheers!

Michaeal
IPGDx

Tags: Cancer Prognosis, cancer treatment, effectiveness of treatment, end of life decisions, If Sick How Sick, Prognosis, Treatment and Prognosis

Prognostic Role of Phase Angle in advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer(NSCLC)

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for about 80% of all lung cancers. Malnutrition is a frequent manifestation in patients with advanced NSCLC and is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality. Malnutrition is characterized by changes in cellular membrane integrity and alterations in fluid balance. As a result, measurement of body composition is an important component of overall nutritional evaluation in cancer patients.

A frequent manifestation of advanced lung cancer is malnutrition, timely identification and treatment of which can lead to improved patient outcomes. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is an easy-to-use and non-invasive technique to evaluate changes in body composition and nutritional status.

Here is an excerpt from the study that was conducted by D.Gupta and Team to investigate the prognostic role of BIA-derived phase angle in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

A case series of 165 stages IIIB and IV NSCLC patients treated at our center. The Kaplan Meier method was used to calculate survival. Cox proportional hazard models were constructed to evaluate the prognostic effect of phase angle, independent of stage at diagnosis and prior treatment history.

93 were males and 72 females. 61 had stage IIIB disease at diagnosis while 104 had stage IV. The median phase angle was 5.3 degrees (range = 2.9 – 8). Patients with phase angle <= 5.3 had a median survival of 7.6 months (95% CI: 4.7 to 9.5; n = 81), while those with > 5.3 had 12.4 months (95% CI: 10.5 to 18.7; n = 84); (p = 0.02). After adjusting for age, stage at diagnosis and prior treatment history we found that every one degree increase in phase angle was associated with a relative risk of 0.79 (95% CI: 0.64 to 0.97, P = 0.02).

It was concluded from the study that phase angle acts as an independent prognostic indicator in patients with stage IIIB and IV NSCLC. Nutritional interventions targeted at improving phase angle could potentially lead to an improved survival in patients with advanced NSCLC.

PrognostiCheck® is a scoring system that interprets a measured electrical value i.e Phase angle , that illustrates the health of the cell membrane. It can be used to provide critically important information to patients, their families and physicians on survival in cancer and all other diseases.

By seeing what is happening in the cell-wall-membrane the results provide better information sooner that supports, compliments and increases the value of the physicians decision dataset.

Tags: Burden of Disease, effectiveness of treatment, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Phase Angle, Prognosis, Treatment and Prognosis

Adenocarcinoma Prognosis

Adenocarcinoma is a carcinoma that begins in cells lining glandular types of internal organs (glandular epithelium tissue ) such as the lungs, breasts, colon, prostate, stomach, pancreas, and cervix and has gland-like properties.

PrognostiCheck® measures the prognosis of patients with Adenocarcinoma.

Check out the Slideshare Presentation on Adenocarcinoma Prognosis

Tags: adenocarcinoma, adenocarcinoma lung, Adenocarcinoma Prognosis, Cancer Prognosis, cancer treatment, Prognosis, treatment of cancer

Colon Cancer Prognosis

Colon cancer is cancer of the large intestine (colon), the lower part of your digestive system. Also called colon cancer or large bowel cancer,it includes cancerous growths in the colon, rectum and appendix.

A prognosis gives an idea of the likely course and outcome of a disease, the chance that a patient will recover or have a recurrence (return of the cancer).

PrognostiCheck® is a proprietary noninvasive measurement that depicts prognosis by illustrating the plasma cell membrane and the exchange between the intra and extracellular matrices.

Check out the slideshare

Tags: adenomatous polyps, Cancer Prognosis, colon cancer, colon cancer prognosis, colon cancer symptoms, colorectal cancer, intestine, Prognosis

Pancreatic Cancer Prognosis using PrognostiCheck®

Pancreatic cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in the USA.

Early detection and correct prognosis of serious illness is critical – and are paramount to improving patient survival rates because when treatment can begin sooner the effectiveness of that treatment is better.

PrognostiCheck® is a scoring system based upon an electrical measurement of cell membranes of a patient. The study illustrates the cell-wall membrane of the cell by measuring its ability to act as a capacitor and the time it holds the signal. These values are indicative of the health of the patient.

Check out the slideshare on Pancreatic Cancer Prognosis using PrognostiCheck®

Tags: disease progression, Pancreatic cancer, Pancreatic Cancer Prognosis, Prognosis

Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS): Phase Angle a Prognostic Factor for Survival

1.Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome(SIRS) is an inflammatory state affecting the whole body, frequently in response to infection.

2. SIRS is defined as 2 or more of the following variables:
a) Fever of more than 38°C or less than 36°C
b) Heart rate of more than 90 beats per minute
c) Respiratory rate of more than 20 breaths per minute or a PaCO2 level of less than 32 mm Hg
d) Abnormal white blood cell count (>12,000/µL or <4,000/µL or >10% bands)

Here is an excerpt of the clinical observation study from 23rd International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine.
It was concluded from the study that phase Angle acts as a predictor for survival in patients with SIRS
http://ccforum.com/content/7/S2/P185

1) PrognostiCheck® for prognosis based upon a noninvasive diagnostic test measures the resistance, reactance and phase angle (in degrees). A low phase angle has been associated with an altered cellular membrane function.
2) In Septic shock patients, a phase angle of less than 4 degree has been reported to be associated with increases mortality.
3) Tests were conducted on 30 consecutive patients ( 11 female, 19 male , median age of 67 [ 16.5 ] years ) after admitting them to the intensive care unit ,all of whom met 2 or more SIRS Criteria.
Severity of the illness was characterized according to APACHE II(Acute Physiology and Chronis Health Evaluation).
4) Non-invasive impedance analysis was performed using a tetra-polar hand-to-foot measuring device and derived phase angle was calculated as arc tan (reactance/resistance).
5) All measurements were performed in the supine position of the patient with special care.
6) After 28 days, out of the 30 patients investigated, 10 had died and 20 survived.
7) In seven out of 20 survivors,a phase angle of more than 4 degree was measured on the first day study,whereas in all patients who died,the phase angle was less than 4 degree (P=0.038)

The conclusion was that an initial phase angle of more than 4 degree may be correlated with survival,in patients suffering with SIRS.

Further information and details can be found here

Tags: Prognosis, sepsis, septic shock, SIRS, SIRS Prognosis, systemic inflammation response syndrome