ACRIN Study Endorses Virtual Colonoscopy Validation For Colon CAD Software Maker Medicsight Plc

Main Category: Colorectal Cancer
Also Included In: IT / Internet / E-mail;  MRI / PET / Ultrasound;  Clinical Trials / Drug Trials
Article Date: 04 Oct 2007 - 0:00 PDT

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MGT Capital Investments, Inc. (Amex: MGT), an investment company focused on the Healthcare Information Technology ("HCIT") sector, announced that the ACRIN study endorses virtual colonoscopy for Medicsight PLC (subsidiary of MGT). Medicsight PLC (AIM: MDST), an industry leader in the development of Computer Aided Detection (CAD) and image analysis software which assists in the early detection and diagnosis of disease, draws attention to the recent announcement of preliminary results of the National U.S. Computerised Tomography (CT) Colonography Trial (ACRIN study 6664). The results are expected to lead to wider adoption of CT colonography (also known as virtual colonoscopy) as routine screening for colorectal cancer.

David Sumner, Chief Executive of Medicsight, said, "We welcome the results of this landmark study, confirming that CT colonography is a genuine and robust option in the armamentarium that physicians have at their disposal when screening for colorectal cancer. This is likely to lead to a material increase in the use of CT colonography for screening populations aged 50 or more who are most at risk of developing this devastating condition. Medicsight's ColonCAD(TM) software, which can be used with multi-detector CT imaging equipment, helps radiologists to interpret the CT scans and identify early- stage lesions. We expect the Company and its CAD software to be an important beneficiary of this trend."

The U.S. trial has compared the detection of polyps and early-stage cancer of the colon using either conventional optical colonoscopy or CT colonography, in which X-ray slice images are reconstructed by computer to provide a virtual image of the colon. This study, funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, was initiated in 2005 and has involved more than 2,500 asymptomatic patients aged 50 or over at 15 centres across the U.S. Patients were investigated using both procedures and the resulting CT images were read by a panel of radiologists. The headline results of the study, released at the ACRIN 2007 Fall Meeting in Arlington, Virginia, on September 28, demonstrate convincingly that CT colonography is at least as sensitive and specific as conventional colonoscopy in detecting adenomas of 1 cm diameter or larger.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. When colorectal cancer is detected early the survival rate is high. Those most at risk, aged 50 or older, are recommended to be screened regularly. However less than half actually undergo colonoscopy. Conventional optical colonoscopy, involving the insertion of a flexible metal tube into the colon, remains the "gold standard" for detection of early-stage tumours, not least because tissue samples can be taken at the same time as they are visualised. However CT colonography is non-invasive, less uncomfortable for the patient and offers the potential of routine screening. The results of the ACRIN 6664 study are expected to lead to reimbursement for CT colonography by Medicare and health insurance companies and thereby drive wider adoption of this technique and increased levels of screening in the at-risk population.

Dr Stuart Taylor of University College Hospital, a principal investigator for Medicsight, commented: "This very well designed study is the largest to date which has specifically investigated the use of CT colonography to screen for colorectal neoplasia in asymptomatic individuals, and has produced very positive results. The 90% sensitivity for identifying patients harbouring a 1 cm adenoma essentially validates the previously reported excellent performance of screening CT colonography by Dr Perry Pickhardt in 2003. I think we can now conclude that, when performed by appropriately trained readers, CT colonography is a viable and robust screening tool for colorectal cancer."

About MGT Capital Investments, Inc.

MGT Capital Investments, Inc and its consolidated subsidiaries is a holding company that focuses on investments in the global healthcare information technology market. We have two subsidiaries, Medicsight PLC and Medicexchange PLC. Medicsight, PLC is a medical imaging software development company developing enterprise-wide Computer-Aided Detection (CAD) software which analyses computer tomography (CT) scans for the early detection and measurement of colorectal polyps and lung lesions. Medicsight has focused on two of the leading causes of cancer-related death, colorectal cancer and lung cancer. Medicexchange, PLC provides medical imaging professionals with a global web portal containing an online sales, jobs and information channel for diagnostic, treatment and surgery planning solutions. This combined with a variety of relevant clinical papers, training materials and content gives these professionals access to information and products that they otherwise would have difficulty accessing. Additional information can be found at http://www.mgtci.com.

All forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the 'safe harbor' provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward- looking statements are based on current management expectations that involve risks and uncertainties that may result in such expectations not being realized. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risks described in company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

MGT Capital Investments, Inc.
http://www.mgtci.com