Prostate Cancer
NOTE: A clinical validation study has been performed on the Oncotype DX prostate cancer test for patients with early-stage prostate cancer. The test is currently commercially available. For detailed information, please call 855-677-6782 (855 6 PROSTATE) or visit www.oncotypeDX.com.
| U.S. Incidence of Prostate Cancer |
>240,000/Year1 |
| Global Incidence of Prostate Cancer |
899,000/Year2 |
About Prostate Cancer
Since the prostate is a part of the male reproductive system, this type of cancer occurs in men only. In the Western world, prostate cancer is the most common type of non-skin cancer found in men and is the second leading cause of cancer death in men. For most men diagnosed with prostate cancer localized to the prostate, treatment can include surgery or radiation.
Of the over 240,000 U.S. men diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, about half will be classified as low risk using conventional measures such as Gleason Score, PSA, and physical exam. Several studies suggest that many if not most of these patients can be successfully and safely managed with active surveillance. Prostate cancer is typically slow growing, generally affecting men over the age of 60 (but can occur in younger men) and is diagnosed by prostate needle biopsy at an early-stage because of an elevated PSA blood test. Most men with prostate cancer do not die from the cancer, but of other causes. As a result, prostate cancer patients are confronted with the difficult decision to pursue treatments that can cause significant long-lasting side effects for a disease that, in most cases, is very unlikely to become clinically significant in their lifetime.
Current Prostate Cancer Treatment Paradigm
Multiple guidelines endorse active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer, but concerns regarding biopsy under-sampling and under-staging have limited its acceptance. Today, more than 90 percent of these low risk patients undergo immediate treatment such as radical prostatectomy or radiation, despite less than a 3% chance of low risk disease progressing and to ultimately become deadly. Learn more about active surveillance
About the Oncotype DX Prostate Cancer Test
The Oncotype DX prostate cancer test (Genomic Prostate Score) is a biopsy-based genomic test that, when combined with other measures, can be used to predict the aggressiveness of a man’s prostate cancer, helping him and his doctor decide what treatment is right for him.
The Oncotype DX prostate cancer test is a standardized, validated biopsy-based test that measures the level of expression of multiple genes across multiple pathways that predict aggressive prostate cancer, overcoming issues related to tumor heterogeneity, biopsy under-sampling and under-staging to substantially improve individualized risk assessment at diagnosis, prior to treatment intervention. Further, the Oncotype DX prostate cancer test allows men with apparent low-risk disease who are identified to harbor higher risk features to have greater confidence in the decision to undergo potentially curative therapy.
Learn more about the Oncotype DX prostate cancer test.
Additional Prostate Cancer Information and Prostate Cancer Patient Resources
- National Cancer Institute's Prostate Cancer page
- My Prostate Cancer Treatment - Patient Education and Support and information about the Oncotype DX prostate cancer test.
- The Prostate Cancer Foundation - Information about prostate cancer research from the Prostate Cancer Foundation, a leading philanthropic organization funding and accelerating prostate cancer research globally.
- My Prostate Cancer Coach – a site designed to support prostate cancer patients and their caregivers, with various resources, expert advice and prostate cancer facts to help patients navigate their care.
- Prostate Cancer Live - a social media show where viewers suggest questions and our experts answer select questions on video.
Learn more about additional Genomic Health products in development:
- Kantar Health, CancerMPact (2/4/2013), 2012 U.S. incidence.
- GLOBOCAN 2008 (IARC) , Section of Cancer Information (3/4/2013), 2008 global incidence.