Personalized Genetic Test Helps Predict Prostate Cancer Risk

Prostate cancer is the only most common cancer in American men--second only to skin cancer. Now, recent findings published in the journal Lancet Oncology show that a genetic test to identify men at high risk for prostate cancer could be helpful.

"Our findings set the stage to tackle the ongoing clinical problem of under-treating men with aggressive disease that will recur in 30% to 50% of patients due to hidden, microscopic disease that is already outside the prostate gland during initial treatment," said Dr. Robert Bristow, a clinician-scientist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, in a news release. "This genetic test could increase cure rates in intermediate- to high-risk men by preventing progression to this metastatic spread of prostate cancer."

The newly devised genetic test provided a much-needed accurate and easy tool to help determine with greater precision how men will do with local treatment and those who will need extra treatment to completely eradicate their cancer.

The next step is to test the gene signature for many patients worldwide in three to five years, examining tests that are readily available in the clinic to guide personalized prostate cancer treatments.