Castle Biosciences and Skin Cancer Survivor Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave Launch Campaign to Increase Awareness of Melanoma
Campaign will focus on empowering patients impacted by melanoma
Castle Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSTL), a company improving health through innovative tests that guide patient care, has joined forces with television personality, wellness coach and founder of ALL IN by Teddi, host of the Two T's in a Pod podcast and stage II melanoma survivor Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave to raise awareness around the prevention, detection and management of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. The campaign will focus on empowering patients impacted by the disease.
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"When I first learned that the weird spot on my back was melanoma, I was truly in shock," said Mellencamp Arroyave. "Yes, I tanned and laid out in the sun as a teen, but as I got older, I became more aware about taking care of my skin. Skin cancer was not anything I thought would affect me or that those choices I made when I was younger would catch up with me. After melanoma was removed from my shoulder, the 14th lesion resulting in a major surgery, the gravity of my diagnosis had become evident.
"I want to share my story, both to encourage others to advocate for their personal health care and to educate anyone and everyone that this disease does not discriminate, looks different on every individual, and that taking care of your skin and keeping up with your skin checks is so important."
Melanoma will claim nearly 20 American lives each day this year, making it the most aggressive form of skin cancer.1 Castle's DecisionDx®-Melanoma test is designed to provide personalized information about a patient's risk of melanoma recurrence, metastasis and sentinel lymph node positivity based on the biology of their tumor. This information can help guide important decisions regarding a patient's treatment plan and follow-up care that have been shown to improve patient survival.2,3
Mellencamp Arroyave will be sharing more about her melanoma journey in a series of conversations on Instagram (@teddimellencamp) with Aaron S. Farberg, M.D., double board-certified dermatologist, chief medical officer of Bare Dermatology in Dallas and assistant professor at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, and with Morgan England, a stage III melanoma survivor and patient advocate who received the DecisionDx-Melanoma test as part of her melanoma care.
"I would tell others with melanoma or any cancer diagnosis that you have to be your own advocate," commented England. "And that's why I wanted to have the DecisionDx-Melanoma test run on my tumor biopsy; I learned it could give me more information about my cancer. There are days when I feel anxious and worried about death or metastasis, or whether I am on the best treatment pathway for my disease. When I'm feeling that anxiety, I just read through my test report. It's been a way that I have coped with anxiety through this diagnosis."
"Melanomas with similar tumor features can have vastly different biology, which can impact how they behave," added Farberg. "Is the tumor more aggressive? Is it likely to return or spread? The DecisionDx-Melanoma test is designed to provide this vital information that you can't always get from a patient's clinical or pathologic risk factors … information that helps me make better, risk-aligned decisions with my patients on how we can treat their melanoma to help improve the outcome of their disease."
To learn more about melanoma and Castle's DecisionDx-Melanoma test, visit yourmelanoma.com.
About DecisionDx®-Melanoma
DecisionDx-Melanoma is a gene expression profile risk stratification test. It is designed to inform two clinical questions in the management of cutaneous melanoma: a patient's individual risk of sentinel lymph node (SLN) positivity and a patient's personal risk of melanoma recurrence and/or metastasis. By integrating tumor biology with clinical and pathologic factors using a validated proprietary algorithm, DecisionDx-Melanoma is designed to provide a comprehensive and clinically actionable result to guide risk-aligned patient care. DecisionDx-Melanoma has been shown to be associated with improved patient survival and has been studied in more than 10,000 patient samples. DecisionDx-Melanoma's clinical value is supported by 50 peer-reviewed and published studies, providing confidence in disease management plans that incorporate the test's results. Through March 31, 2024, DecisionDx-Melanoma has been ordered more than 164,000 times for patients diagnosed with cutaneous melanoma.
About Castle Biosciences
Castle Biosciences (NASDAQ:CSTL) is a leading diagnostics company improving health through innovative tests that guide patient care. The Company aims to transform disease management by keeping people first: patients, clinicians, employees and investors.
Castle's current portfolio consists of tests for skin cancers, Barrett's esophagus, mental health conditions and uveal melanoma. Additionally, the Company has active research and development programs for tests in other diseases with high clinical need, including its test in development to help guide systemic therapy selection for patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and related conditions. To learn more, please visit www.CastleBiosciences.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Instagram.
DecisionDx-Melanoma, DecisionDx-CMSeq, DecisionDx-SCC, MyPath Melanoma, DiffDx-Melanoma, TissueCypher, IDgenetix, DecisionDx-UM, DecisionDx-PRAME and DecisionDx-UMSeq are trademarks of Castle Biosciences, Inc.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are subject to the "safe harbor" created by those sections. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning: the ability of DecisionDx-Melanoma test to (i) provide personalized information about a patient's risk of melanoma recurrence, metastasis and sentinel lymph node positivity based on the biology of their tumor and (ii) help guide important decisions regarding a patient's treatment and follow-up care that have been shown to improve patient survival. The words "believe," "can," "may" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements that we make. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: subsequent study or trial results and findings may contradict earlier study or trial results and findings or may not support the results obtained in these studies, including with respect to the discussion of our tests in this press release; actual application of our tests may not provide the aforementioned benefits to patients; and the risks set forth under the heading "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and in our other filings with the SEC. The forward-looking statements are applicable only as of the date on which they are made, and we do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.
- American Academy of Dermatology; https://www.aad.org/media/stats-skin-cancer; accessed July 19, 2024
- Bailey CN, Martin BJ, Petkov VI, et al. 31-Gene Expression Profile Testing in Cutaneous Melanoma and Survival Outcomes in a Population-Based Analysis: A SEER Collaboration. JCO Precis. Oncol. 2023; 7. doi: 10.1200/PO.23.00044
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Dhillon S, Duarte-Bateman D, Fowler G, et al. Routine imaging guided by a 31-gene expression profile assay results in earlier detection of melanoma with decreased metastatic tumor burden compared to patients without surveillance imaging studies. Arch Dermatol Res. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-023-02613-6.
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