Previous studies have indicated that genomic instability is associated with tumor grade, tumor development, and disease progression. Because the MIP copy number application offers both allele and copy number data on a single platform, researchers now have a more comprehensive tool to evaluate risk factors for the early stages of cancer and disease relapse. Pairing allele information with copy number calls also enables a more in-depth analysis of cancer, including copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity, levels of normal-tumor contamination, and preferential allele amplification.

"Cancer researchers are unlocking the full potential of millions of archived FFPE samples using MIP copy number technology," said Kevin King, President and CEO of Affymetrix. "Leading cancer researchers can now link copy number data with clinical data from these archived resources. This is the tremendous advantage of the MIP assay and will help researchers yield discoveries that could ultimately improve cancer diagnosis and categorization of patients, and thus lead to more targeted and individualized strategies for the treatment of cancer."

SOURCE Affymetrix, Inc.