Dr. Shore on Genomic Assays in Prostate Cancer

Neal D. Shore, MD, FACS, medical director, Carolina Urologic Research Center, Myrtle Beach, discusses genomic assays in prostate cancer.

The world of biomarkers and diagnostics in urologic oncology is exploding, especially in prostate cancer, Shore says. Many of these markers can help determine which patients need to be biopsied or re-biopsied in prostate cancer. Once prostate cancer is diagnosed, genomic assays can now give additional information regarding the aggressiveness of a particular disease.

There are three genomic assays (Oncotype DX, Prolaris Score, and the Decipher Test) that are currently indicated for newly diagnosed patients or in the setting of post-prostatectomy, Shore says. These genomic assays are used to understand adjuvant therapy indications, not for screening like PSA or digital rectal examinations.

There are other tests, Shore says, that are looking at augmenting the sensitivity of PSA to help better understand which patients need a biopsy.