Dr Nicola Hembry B.Sc MB BS MSBiol
Litfield House Medical Centre, 1 Litfield Place,
Clifton, Bristol. BS8 3LS
Tel: 0117 317 1460 Fax: 0117 973 3303
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.drhembry.com
Clinical validation of RGCC tests
RGCC’s tests (chemosensitivity tests and tests for circulating tumour cells) are not yet clinically validated. This
means that, while there is evidence for the use of these types of assays, including some in clinical practice (see refs
below), the large randomised studies required to support their clinical use and validation have yet to be done. This is an
important point because it means that they lack the gold standard evidence base to be considered for use in mainstream
medicine in the UK
RGCC audits clinical outcomes from patients around the world who are using their tests. This data is presented in their
laboratory information (available on request), and updated audit data will shortly be posted on the new RGCC-UK
website (www.rgcc-uk.com) . There continues to be considerable interest in both chemosensitivity testing and
screening for circulating tumour cells, and research into the use of both types of assay is ongoing.
Chemosensitivity test references:
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The Coxen principle: translating signatures of in vitro chemosensitivity into tools for clinical outcome
prediction and drug discovery in cancer; Smith SC, Baras AS, Lee JK, Theodorescu D. Cancer Res, 2010
Mar 1;70(5): 1753-8
Predicting response to Methorexate, Vinblastine, Doxorubicin, and Cisplatin neoadjuvant chemotherapy for
bladder cancers through genome-wide gene expression profiling; Takata R, Katagiri T, Kanehira M, et al.
Clin Cancer Res 2005; 11: 22625-36
Gene Expression profiling predicts clinical outcome of breast cancer; van’t Veer LJ, van de Vijver MJ, et al.
Nature 2002; 415: 530-6
Predictive value of MTT assay as an in vitro chemosensitivity testing for gastric cancer: one institution’s
experience: Wu B, Zhu JS, Zhang Y, Shen WM, Zhang Q. World J Gastroenterol. 2008. May 21; 14(19):
3064-8
Challenges of Chemosensitivity testing; Hwu P, Bedikian AY, Grimm EA, Clin Cancer Res 2006; 12(18);
5258-9
Chemosensitivity prediction by transcription profiling PNAS, Sept 11 2001, Vol 98, No 19 10787-10792
Detection of tumour cells in the peripheral blood of patients with breast cancer. Development of a new
sensitive and specific immunomolecular assay. J. exp Clin. Cancer res, 23, 3, 2004
DNA microarrays in clinical oncology. Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 20, No 7(April1) 2002: pp 19321941
Circulating tumour cell assay references:
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Tumour cells circulate in the peripheral blood of all major carcinomas but not in healthy subjects or patients
with non-malignant disease. Clin Cancer Research. 2004 Oct 15; 10(20):6897 - 904
Circulating tumour cells, disease progression, and survival in metastatic breast cancer. N Engl J Med 351;8
www.NEJM.org August 19, 2004
Cigna Healthcare Coverage Position: 0262
Detection of circulating tumour cells in carcinoma patients by a novel epidermal growth factor receprtor
reverse transcription-PCR assay. Clinical Cancer Research 1439; vol 6. 1439 – 1444, April 2000
Circulating tumour cell clusters in the peripheral blood of colorectal cancer patients. Clinical Cancer
Research, 4080, vol 7, 4080 – 4085, December 2001
Prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer patients by detecting circulating cancer cells in the peripheral blood
with multiple marker genes. Clinical Cancer Research, 173, vol 11, 173 – 179 January 1, 2005
Circulating tumour cells as more than prognostic markers; Stebbing J; Jiao LR; Lancet Oncology Vol 10,
Dec 2009; 1138-9
Integrated Health Screening Ltd, Company No. 6131972
Registered Office: 71 Woodside Road, Downend, Bristol, BS16 2SR
Dr Nicola Hembry B.Sc MB BS MSBiol
Litfield House Medical Centre, 1 Litfield Place,
Clifton, Bristol. BS8 3LS
Tel: 0117 317 1460 Fax: 0117 973 3303
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.drhembry.com
Clarification of financial interests between Dr Nicola Hembry and RGCC Ltd
Dr Hembry has offered RGCC’s tests in the UK within her private medical practice since 2005. RGCC elects to have
one contact person / clinic in the countries in which they offer their services, through which to coordinate their tests. Dr
Hembry is the designated contact person within the UK. This was an informal arrangement until December 2009 when
RGCC-UK Ltd was established as the formal UK branch office of RGCC. Dr Hembry is co-director of RGCC-UK
Ltd, along with Dr Papasotiriou, who is the director of RGCC Ltd in Greece.
The aims of RGCC-UK Ltd are: 1. Test provision in the UK; 2. Creation of R+D contracts for RGCC, and 3.
Education. There is also an interest to offer clinical services in the future.
Dr Hembry recommends RGCC’s tests to patients in her private medical practice. To avoid any conflict of interest,
these tests are offered at cost price (as defined by RGCC in Greece). Payment for these tests is made to RGCC-UK Ltd,
and transferred in full to RGCC Ltd (Greece). Dr Hembry does not benefit financially from any RGCC tests offered in
her private medical practice.
If you have any questions relating to this, please contact the office directly on 0117 317 1460 or [email protected]
Integrated Health Screening Ltd, Company No. 6131972
Registered Office: 71 Woodside Road, Downend, Bristol, BS16 2SR