Castle Biosciences Celebrates Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month through Advocacy and Educational Collaborations

Castle Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSTL), a company improving health through innovative tests that guide patient care, recognizes the importance of Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month and is providing its support of key programs and initiatives throughout the month of April. The Company is proud to continue its ongoing collaboration with the Esophageal Cancer Action Network (ECAN), Gastro Broadcast podcast and EndoscopyNow to help advance esophageal cancer research, prevention, education and advocacy.

“Unfortunately, esophageal cancer is often detected at its late stages and the five-year survival rate of esophageal cancer patients is less than 20%,”¹ said Emmanuel Gorospe, M.D., MPH, CPI, FACP, FACG, FASGE, GI Medical Director at Castle Biosciences. “Therefore, prevention and early detection are key. We are proud to continue efforts to promote awareness of the disease and provide holistic support directed towards patients as well as the GI professional community through research, advocacy and educational initiatives.”

Detection of esophageal cancer and its precursor, Barrett’s esophagus (BE), is challenging because the primary symptoms — heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) — are common to a multitude of less serious ailments that are typically not cause for concern. TissueCypher is Castle’s prognostic risk-stratification test designed to predict progression to high-grade dysplasia or esophageal cancer.

Esophageal Cancer Action Network (ECAN)

Castle is collaborating with ECAN’s Steps to Save Lives, a virtual 5k run/walk/roll and the organization’s signature fundraising event, being held April 21–28, 2024. For more information or to get involved, visit ECAN’s Steps to Save Lives page.

“When ECAN began Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month 15 years ago, most people had never heard of, what was at the time, the fastest-increasing cancer in the U.S. — up at least 600% in recent decades — and today, esophageal cancer remains the fastest-increasing cancer diagnosis among American men,”¹ said Mindy Mintz Mordecai, president and chief executive officer of ECAN. “Thanks to the support of our corporate partners, not only are more people becoming aware that reflux disease can cause this devastating cancer, innovation by these companies is resulting in better tests and tools that increase the chance that patients can prevent this deadly disease before it starts.”