31-GEP test lowers melanoma-specific mortality by 29%

Key takeaways:

• DecisionDx-Melanoma was associated with lower melanoma-specific (29%) and overall (17%) mortality rates.
• A class 2B result was an independent predictor of melanoma-specific and overall survival.

Patients tested with the DecisionDx-Melanoma 31-gene expression profile test experienced 29% lower melanoma-specific mortality and 17% lower overall mortality compared with untested patients, according to a study.

The DecisionDx-Melanoma 31-gene expression profile (31-GEP) test’s purpose is to determine the risk for malignancy in suspected melanomas. The test classifies a patient’s risk for melanoma-specific survival (MSS) from lowest to highest as class 1A, class 1B/2A or class 2B.

“The independent risk-stratification provided by DecisionDx-Melanoma has already been demonstrated in numerous retrospective and prospective studies,” Matthew Goldberg, MD, FAAD, senior vice president of medical at Castle Biosciences, said in a company press release. “This large study of real-world, unselected, clinically tested patients who received our test as part of their ongoing melanoma care further supports these findings.”

This study determined the effect that the DecisionDx-Melanoma test has on survival outcomes. A total of 3,258 patients were tested and compared with 9,774 patients who did not receive their test results as part of their clinical care.

Results showed that 31-GEP testing was linked to a 29% lower MSS mortality (HR = 0.71; 95% CI, 0.53-0.94) and a 17% lower overall mortality (HR = 0.83, 95% CI, 0.7-0.99) than untested patients.

According to the test, patients that scored class 1A results had a 99.7% chance of 3-year MSS followed by 97.1% with class 1B/2A results and 89.6% with class 2B results (P < .001).

Similarly, class 1A patients had a better chance of overall survival (96.6%) compared with class 1B/2A patients (90.2%) and class 2B patients (79.4%; P < .001).

The study also showed that a class 2B result was an independent predictor of MSS (HR = 7; 95% CI, 2.7-18) and overall survival (HR = 2.39; 95% CI, 1.54-3.7).

“We believe that DecisionDx-Melanoma will be a practice-changing test, providing personalized information based on the genomic profile of a patient’s tumor that can help guide more informed and risk-aligned patient care decisions,” Derek Maetzold, president and CEO of Castle Biosciences, said in the press release.

Reference:

Study data from Castle Biosciences’ collaboration with the National Cancer Institute’s SEER program registries published in JCO Precision Oncology. https://ir.castlebiosciences.com/news. Published June 30, 2023. Accessed July 13, 2023.