Could a DNA Test Determine Return of Prostate Cancer?

The National Cancer Institute estimates that in 2014, there will be over 230,000 new cases of prostate cancer, with close to 30,000 resulting in death.

Some of the more serious cases may be reoccurring, even following surgery and/or radiotherapy to correct the issue.

"Men who fail treatment within two years may be at the highest risk of dying from their prostate cancer," said Dr. Robert Bristow, a professor at the University of Toronto, via Medical Xpress. "Existing methods for identifying high risk patients are imperfect, so new tests are required that are better at predicting which patients will have their cancer recur. These men can then be offered additional treatments, such as chemo- and hormone therapy, that will combat the prostate cancer throughout their entire body, rather than therapies solely focused on the prostate, in order to improve their chances of survival."

A team of researchers from the University of Toronto are working on the development of a genetic test that may be able to determine whether some prostate cancers will be reoccurring and certain preventative treatments to take.

"Existing methods for identifying high risk patients are imperfect, so new tests are required that are better at predicting which patients will have their cancer recur," Dr. Bristow said, via Medical Daily.

According to Bristow and Dr. Paul Boutros from the Ontario Institute of Cancer Research, they developed a "signature" based on the DNA of patient's prostate cancer that can accurately predict treatment failure in patients undergoing radiotherapy or even surgery.

The researchers analyzed DNA from biopsied tissue taken from a total of 276 prostate cancer patients with an intermediate risk of cancer recurrence. Researchers note that over the next few years, further studies with varied groups and larger samples will be needed to prove the accuracy of the findings.

"If all goes well, then this will lead to a new test for cancer patients that can be turned around in three days and will tell doctors which patients will do well with local treatment alone -- surgery or radiotherapy -- and which will need extra treatment," Bristow said, via Health Day.

More information regarding the findings were presented Saturday at the meeting of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology in Vienna.