Prostate Cancer
| New Targets in Development: |
Prostate biopsy test to guide selection of active surveillance or surgery/radiation for early-stage prostate cancer: Clinical Validation |
| U.S. Incidence of Prostate Cancer |
251,000/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. Prostate cancer is the most common type of non-skin cancer found in American men and is the second leading cause of cancer death in men. For most men diagnosed with prostate cancer localized to the prostate, current treatment includes surgery or radiation.
Current Prostate Cancer Treatment Paradigm and Potential Impact of Testing
Prostate cancer is typically slow-growing, generally affects men over the age of 60 (but can occur in younger men) and is primarily diagnosed at an early-stage because of an abnormally elevated PSA blood test. Because of these factors, most men with prostate cancer die not of the cancer, but of other causes. Distinguishing between indolent and aggressive forms of prostate cancer has been challenging for patients and physicians, using the prostate cancer tests that are available today. As a result, prostate cancer patients are confronted with the difficult decision to pursue treatments which can cause significant lasting side effects for a disease which, in most cases, will not impact them clinically in their lifetime. A new prostate test which would provide insight into the individual biology and behavior of newly diagnosed prostate cancers is greatly needed to better inform treatment planning for prostate cancer patients and their physicians, particularly to identify patients who are at low risk of disease progression and would thus be ideal candidates for close monitoring (otherwise known as active surveillance).
About Genomic Health's Prostate Cancer Test in Development
Genomic Health is working to develop a biopsy-based genomic test, that used in conjunction with the Gleason Score and other clinical parameters, can aid in more accurately assessing whether a prostate cancer patient has clinically significant disease at the time of diagnosis. This test will be intended to identify those patients with indolent prostate cancer who can be appropriately managed with active surveillance and those who are likely to have aggressive prostate cancer and should be treated with surgery or radiation therapy up-front. A study involving over 400 prostate cancer patients identified a large number of genes strongly associated with clinical recurrence of disease. Genomic Health is finalizing analytical methods this year to support a clinical validation study in prostate cancer in 2012 and plans to launch a test globally in 2013. Developing a test that can address a critical dilemma in today's standard of care in prostate cancer will require well-designed clinical studies with reproducible evidence and the ability to work with very small amounts of biopsy tissue. As with Genomic Health's development of the Oncotype DX® breast and colon cancer tests, the company expects to conduct multiple clinical studies to establish the clinical utility of its prostate cancer test.
Recent Genomic Health Prostate cancer studies
Resources for Prostate Cancer Patients
For more information about prostate cancer, visit the National Cancer Institute's Prostate Cancer page or the nonprofit group Prostate Cancer Foundation Website.
Learn more about additional Genomic Health products in development:
- Mattson Jack, CancerMPact November 2010 (2011 incidence).
- Company figure adapted from MattsonJack, CancerMpact, November 2010 (2011 incidence).