Dr. Katz on Redefining Risk Assessment in Prostate Cancer With 17-Gene Oncotype DX GPS

Aaron E. Katz, MD, FACS, professor, Department of Urology, NYU Long Island School of Medicine, chairman, Department of Urology, Winthrop Hospital, NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, discusses reclassifying patients with prostate cancer by utilizing the 17-gene Oncotype DX Genomic Prostate Score (GPS).

In a study, investigators utilized the 17-gene RT-PCR Prostate Assay to look at the clinical experience of 33,000 patients with clinically low-risk prostate cancer in the United States, says Katz. In this research, investigators were able to redefine the risk assessment in these patients.

Results showed was that men who were defined to be low- and intermediate-risk via the National Comprehensive Cancer Center guidelines were recategorized based upon the new genomic score. Those in the low-risk group were reclassified in 62% of cases and those in the intermediate-risk group were reclassified in 34% of cases, says Katz.

It is important to understand that some of the patients who are considered to be low risk may actually harbor more aggressive disease, concludes Katz.