NEW YORK, April 1, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- COTA (Cancer Outcomes Tracking and Analysis) has completed the digital mapping of all cancers within its CNA (COTA Nodal Address) system – a breakthrough standard for precisely classifying cancer patients. The result is an objective standard to aid in proper diagnosis and precision treatment, assessment of risk, and improvement of clinical outcomes and cost.
"To create real value in healthcare and to improve patient outcomes while driving out unnecessary costs, you must be able to identify and reduce behavioral variance among providers," said Eric Schultz, Chief Executive Officer of COTA. "And to do that your analysis of treatment and outcomes must correct for biologic variance. Our goal was to map all cancers into discrete prognostically different subtypes, putting biologic variance into manageable buckets, and we are thrilled to announce that we've completed that goal."
Over the past 10 years, teams of oncology disease specific experts, supported by biostatisticians and experts in genomics, helped COTA create a digital map of all of cancer, called COTA Nodal Addresses (CNA). CNAs are currently in use by payers, pharma/biotech and practicing oncologists. CNAs take into account all of the relevant diagnostic (staging, genomics, etc.) and prognostic information embodied by a cancer as well as the intent of therapy and progression status.
Andrew L. Pecora M.D. FACP CPE, founder of COTA and architect of CNAs said, "Using COTA's oncology expertise, the trillions of possible permutations have been reduced to a limited number, which then can be used to compare similar cancer types. Any differences in outcomes in a CNA grouping are likely to be more an effect of behavioral differences between providers and less an effect of biologic differences between patients."
To help focus treatments and reduce skyrocketing costs that could result in rationed care, COTA is in the process of digitally mapping other medical conditions where costs and variances in care are high.
About COTA, Inc.
Developed by world-leading oncologists, COTA, Inc. has developed the unique CNA (COTA Nodal Address) System for precisely classifying cancer patients, and the systems and methodologies to enable doctors and health plans to improve patient care and move from fee-for-service to value-based reimbursement models. COTA offers providers, patients and payers with the actionable, real-time insights they need to improve clinical outcomes, while reducing the costs. Based in New York City, the Company's mission is to enable optimal care for every cancer patient. To learn more about COTA, call (866) 648-3833 or visit www.cotatrack.com.
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