Peer-reviewed breakthrough opens the door to a radically less invasive diagnostic pathway for women
SAN FRANCISCO, April 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- PinkDx — The Gyne Cancer Company™ — today announced the publication of peer-reviewed evidence demonstrating that molecular signals associated with endometrial cancer can be detected from a simple vaginal swab. The findings, published in the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer challenge long-held assumptions about how endometrial cancer must be evaluated and lay the scientific foundation for a less invasive, more patient-centered diagnostic pathway for women. The breakthrough has already drawn national attention, including coverage on Good Morning America.
Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy in the United States — and one of the few cancers with rising mortality. In 2026, the American Cancer Society estimates more than 69,000 new cases and over 14,000 deaths. However, every year, tens of thousands of women undergo invasive diagnostic procedures following abnormal or postmenopausal bleeding — even though fewer than one in ten will ultimately be diagnosed with cancer.
The result is a diagnostic journey that is often painful, time-consuming, anxiety-provoking, and inefficient for patients and clinicians alike. PinkDx's newly published research suggests a fundamentally different approach may be possible. "The gynecologic cancer diagnostic journey is too invasive, too uncertain,and too burdensome for women," said Bonnie Anderson, co-founder, chair,and chief executive officer of PinkDx. "This peer-reviewed publication provides clear evidence that endometrial cancer signals can be detected from a vaginal swab. It represents a scientific breakthrough and a critical step toward a diagnostic pathway designed around women — not procedures."
Challenging a Core Assumption in Gynecologic Cancer Diagnosis
The study was designed to rigorously test a long-standing belief in gynecologic oncology: that meaningful molecular insight into endometrial cancer requires direct sampling of the uterus. To answer that question,PinkDx enrolled women undergoing hysterectomy and collected vaginal swabs paired with tumor tissue from surgery. Using whole-transcriptome sequencing and machine learning, the team evaluated whether molecular signatures associated with endometrial cancer could be detected in vaginal swabs without accessing the uterus itself.
"The assumption has always been that you have to sample the uterus to understand what's happening in the uterus," said Giulia Kennedy, PhD, co-founder and chief scientific officer of PinkDx. "Our findings challenge that assumption. We show that molecular signals associated with endometrial cancer can be detected from a vaginal swab — a result with meaningful implications for how we rethink the diagnostic experience for women."
Built by Leaders Who Have Changed Diagnostics Before
Anderson and Kennedy previously helped drive one of the most significant shifts in molecular diagnostics during their leadership at Veracyte, where they developed and commercialized genomic tests that replaced invasive surgical procedures with less invasive, evidence-based diagnostic tools. Those tests helped reshape clinical practice, enabling physicians to rule out cancer with high confidence while sparing thousands of patients from unnecessary surgeries.
"At Veracyte, we saw how rigorous molecular science — when paired with clinical evidence — could fundamentally change diagnostic pathways," Anderson said. "PinkDx builds on that same playbook, applying it to gynecologic cancer, where the unmet need is profound and long overdue." Kennedy added, "Our focus is not just discovery, but translation — designing molecular diagnostics that can move into real-world clinical decision-making. That's the lens through which this work was conceived."
Toward a More Patient-Centered Future
Experts say the findings point to a future in which non-invasive molecular insights could help clinicians more efficiently determine which women truly need further evaluation — and which do not.
"These data suggest a future where a non-invasive swab could help better identify which women with abnormal or postmenopausal bleeding may warrant additional evaluation," said Jason Wright, MD, Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Obstetrician- and Gynecologist-in-Chief at Tufts Medical Center, and co-author. "Molecular insights that inform treatment decisions without invasive sampling represent an important advance toward more patient-centered care."
PinkDx is now advancing prospective, multi-center clinical validation studies to evaluate this approach in broader, real-world populations and to demonstrate how non-invasive molecular insights could ultimately support clinical decision-making at scale.
PinkDx LEADERSHIP
Bonnie Anderson — Co-Founder, Chair, and Chief Executive Officer
Bonnie Anderson is co-founder, chair, and chief executive officer of PinkDx. She is a recognized leader in molecular diagnostics with a proven track record of translating genomic science into clinically adopted diagnostic tools. Prior to founding PinkDx, Anderson founded Veracyte where she served as president and chief executive officer, led the company from early development through commercialization, helped establish diagnostics that reduced the need for invasive surgery, and changed clinical practice across multiple disease areas. She currently serves on multiple corporate and nonprofit boards and is widely recognized for advancing patient-centered innovation in diagnostics.
Giulia Kennedy, PhD — Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer
Giulia Kennedy, PhD, is co-founder and chief scientific officer of PinkDx. A molecular biologist and diagnostics innovator, she brings deep expertise in genomics, bioinformatics, and translational research. Prior to PinkDx, Kennedy was the chief scientific officer and chief medical officer of Veracyte, where she developed and validated genomic classifiers that enabled less invasive diagnostic pathways. At PinkDx, she leads scientific strategy and translational research focused on applying whole-transcriptome sequencing and machine learning in gynecologic cancer.
About PinkDx
PinkDx —The Gyne Cancer Company™— is transforming the diagnostic journey in gynecologic cancer, starting with endometrial cancer. The company applies scientific discovery and integrates whole-transcriptome sequencing and machine learning to deliver evidence-based insights that guide clinical decisions—giving women and physicians the answers they deserve. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, PinkDx is privately held and backed by leading life science investors including Catalio Capital Management, Mountain Group Partners, Sandbox Clinical Ventures, Blue Venture Fund, The Production Board, BEVC, Mayo Clinic, and Brook Byers. For more information, visit pinkdx.com. PinkDx and The Gyne Cancer Company are trademarks of PinkDx, Inc.
CONTACT:
Chris Vlasto
chris.vlasto@havenstrategies.com
914-535-9495
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SOURCE PinkDx
