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Exact Sciences' (EXAS) Oncoguard Esophagus Test Looks Promising
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Exact Sciences Corporation (EXAS - Free Report) recently reported a promising outcome for the non-endoscopic Oncoguard Esophagus test, developed in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center. The test, currently in development for the detection of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and its precursors, including Barrett’s esophagus (BE), has demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity.
The findings from the test’s algorithm training and testing were recently published in the Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology journal. The latest development is also expected to boost the company’s Screening test revenues.
More on the Study
The study used an encapsulated sponge collection device to collect esophageal specimens from 352 participants in the training set and 125 participants in the test set. The specimens were then blindly assayed for methylated DNA markers (MDMs).
The cross-validation of the three-MDM panel demonstrated an overall sensitivity of 82% for BE detection at 90% specificity in the training set and 88% sensitivity at 84% specificity in the test set. In both training and test sets, sensitivity was 100% for EAC and BE with high-grade dysplasia—both treatment-eligible subsets. The collection method was generally well tolerated by study participants and was conducive to office-based implementation.
Significance of the Oncoguard Esophagus Test
EAC is the most common form of esophageal cancer in the United States. Unlike other, more common types of cancers where rates have either declined or remained flat due to advanced technologies in screening, the incidence of EAC hassignificantly increased over the past few decades. The majority of EAC cases are diagnosed in advanced stages, with early EAC typically having no signs or symptoms. This has made screening in high-risk populations a critical need.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
There are approximately 30 million people in the United States who are estimated to be at highrisk for EAC and should be screened. As seen in other cancer types, earlier screening and detection ofesophageal cancer will also represent an important advancement. EXAS’ Chief Medical Officer of Screening notes that while many experts recommend that people with chronic reflux disease and at least one other risk factor be screened for BE, only a small number of eligible patients undergo screening currently.
Exact Sciences’ work has consistently focused on the latest innovations in screening and testing to help patients and clinicians have accurate, less invasive and cost-effective options. By collaborating with Mayo Clinic, the company has further worked on developing the Oncoguard Esophagus test as a minimally invasive solution for earlier detection of EAC and its precursors. The test has not yet been cleared or approved by the FDA or any other national regulatory authority.
Industry Prospects
Per a Research report, the esophageal cancer market was valued at $12.1 billion in 2022 and is expected to witness a CAGR of 8.22% by 2032.
Notable Highlights in Screening Tests
Last month, EXAS announced the online publication of the BLUE-C study results in The New England Journal of Medicine, along with the peer-reviewed study,"Next-Generation Multitarget Stool DNA Test for Colorectal Cancer Screening",appearing in the journal's print issue.
The 20,000-participant, prospective, multicenter study was designed to determine the performance characteristics of Exact Sciences’ next-generation Cologuard Plus multitarget stool DNA test for colorectal cancer (CRC) and to compare that performance withthe fecal immunochemical test — a commonly used non-invasive CRC screening test. The publication of findings reflects a decade of the company’s deep scientific and medical research in collaboration with Mayo Clinic.
Price Performance
In the past year, shares of EXAS have risen 10.5% against the industry’s decline of 7.6%.
Zacks Rank and Other Key Picks
Exact Sciences currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
DaVita’s stock has surged 65.3% in the past year. Earnings estimates for DaVita have risen from $8.97 to $9.23 in 2024 and from $9.77 to $10.01 in 2025 in the past 30 days.
DVA’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 35.6%. In the last reported quarter, it posted an earnings surprise of 22.2%.
Estimates for Stryker’s 2024 earnings per share have remained constant at $11.86 in the past 30 days. Shares of the company have moved 21.5% upward in the past year compared with the industry’s rise of 4.6%.
SYK’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 5.1%. In the last reported quarter, it delivered an average earnings surprise of 5.8%.
Estimates for Cardinal Health’s 2024 earnings per share have moved up to $7.29 from $7.28 in the past 30 days. Shares of the company have surged 45% in the past year compared with the industry’s 11.7% rise.
CAH’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 15.6%. In the last reported quarter, it delivered an average earnings surprise of 16.7%.
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Exact Sciences' (EXAS) Oncoguard Esophagus Test Looks Promising
Exact Sciences Corporation (EXAS - Free Report) recently reported a promising outcome for the non-endoscopic Oncoguard Esophagus test, developed in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center. The test, currently in development for the detection of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and its precursors, including Barrett’s esophagus (BE), has demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity.
The findings from the test’s algorithm training and testing were recently published in the Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology journal. The latest development is also expected to boost the company’s Screening test revenues.
More on the Study
The study used an encapsulated sponge collection device to collect esophageal specimens from 352 participants in the training set and 125 participants in the test set. The specimens were then blindly assayed for methylated DNA markers (MDMs).
The cross-validation of the three-MDM panel demonstrated an overall sensitivity of 82% for BE detection at 90% specificity in the training set and 88% sensitivity at 84% specificity in the test set. In both training and test sets, sensitivity was 100% for EAC and BE with high-grade dysplasia—both treatment-eligible subsets. The collection method was generally well tolerated by study participants and was conducive to office-based implementation.
Significance of the Oncoguard Esophagus Test
EAC is the most common form of esophageal cancer in the United States. Unlike other, more common types of cancers where rates have either declined or remained flat due to advanced technologies in screening, the incidence of EAC hassignificantly increased over the past few decades. The majority of EAC cases are diagnosed in advanced stages, with early EAC typically having no signs or symptoms. This has made screening in high-risk populations a critical need.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
There are approximately 30 million people in the United States who are estimated to be at highrisk for EAC and should be screened. As seen in other cancer types, earlier screening and detection ofesophageal cancer will also represent an important advancement. EXAS’ Chief Medical Officer of Screening notes that while many experts recommend that people with chronic reflux disease and at least one other risk factor be screened for BE, only a small number of eligible patients undergo screening currently.
Exact Sciences’ work has consistently focused on the latest innovations in screening and testing to help patients and clinicians have accurate, less invasive and cost-effective options. By collaborating with Mayo Clinic, the company has further worked on developing the Oncoguard Esophagus test as a minimally invasive solution for earlier detection of EAC and its precursors. The test has not yet been cleared or approved by the FDA or any other national regulatory authority.
Industry Prospects
Per a Research report, the esophageal cancer market was valued at $12.1 billion in 2022 and is expected to witness a CAGR of 8.22% by 2032.
Notable Highlights in Screening Tests
Last month, EXAS announced the online publication of the BLUE-C study results in The New England Journal of Medicine, along with the peer-reviewed study,"Next-Generation Multitarget Stool DNA Test for Colorectal Cancer Screening",appearing in the journal's print issue.
The 20,000-participant, prospective, multicenter study was designed to determine the performance characteristics of Exact Sciences’ next-generation Cologuard Plus multitarget stool DNA test for colorectal cancer (CRC) and to compare that performance withthe fecal immunochemical test — a commonly used non-invasive CRC screening test. The publication of findings reflects a decade of the company’s deep scientific and medical research in collaboration with Mayo Clinic.
Price Performance
In the past year, shares of EXAS have risen 10.5% against the industry’s decline of 7.6%.
Zacks Rank and Other Key Picks
Exact Sciences currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Some other top-ranked stocks in the broader medical space are DaVita (DVA - Free Report) , Stryker (SYK - Free Report) and Cardinal Health (CAH - Free Report) . While DaVita sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Stryker and Cardinal Health each carry a Zacks Rank #2 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
DaVita’s stock has surged 65.3% in the past year. Earnings estimates for DaVita have risen from $8.97 to $9.23 in 2024 and from $9.77 to $10.01 in 2025 in the past 30 days.
DVA’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 35.6%. In the last reported quarter, it posted an earnings surprise of 22.2%.
Estimates for Stryker’s 2024 earnings per share have remained constant at $11.86 in the past 30 days. Shares of the company have moved 21.5% upward in the past year compared with the industry’s rise of 4.6%.
SYK’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 5.1%. In the last reported quarter, it delivered an average earnings surprise of 5.8%.
Estimates for Cardinal Health’s 2024 earnings per share have moved up to $7.29 from $7.28 in the past 30 days. Shares of the company have surged 45% in the past year compared with the industry’s 11.7% rise.
CAH’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 15.6%. In the last reported quarter, it delivered an average earnings surprise of 16.7%.