- A prostate cancer biomarker test that utilizes 17 genetic markers has demonstrated a high degree of accuracy in screening for serious cancer.
- The test also significantly reduced unnecessary biopsies for individuals with indolent, low-grade prostate cancer.
- The results are exciting, but questions remain as to whether the test would perform in a more racially diverse population.
Researchers have identified 17 unique genetic markers that are overexpressed by high-grade prostate cancers, which can be screened for accurately using a urine test. Experts say the test can help doctors identify serious cancers while also reducing unnecessary biopsies.
Prostate cancers are graded according to a
This new test could potentially help with diagnosing and treating cancer earlier and with fewer invasive measures.
The health benefits of screening for prostate cancer with a standard prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test have historically come with the tradeoff: the potential for unnecessary, invasive procedures, such as prostate biopsies.
However, innovations in the realm of prostate cancer biomarker tests are helping to improve diagnostic accuracy alongside PSA testing.
The results of one such biomarker test, known as the MyProstateScore 2.0 (MPS2), which were published this month in
Researchers found that the test had a 95% sensitivity for prostate cancer of grade group 2 or greater, and 99% for grade group 3 or greater.
“It does look impressive and exciting. I definitely think this is moving the field in the right direction, which will be helpful for patients in the long term,” Geoffrey Sonn, MD, an Associate Professor of Urology at Stanford Medicine who wasn’t affiliated with the research, told Healthline.
However, questions remain about whether the test could be accurately applied to a…
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