GenomeDx Biosciences has recently announced the publication of a new study titled “Characterization of 1,577 primary prostate cancers reveals novel biological and clinicopathologic insights into molecular subtypes” utilizing Decipher GRID technology. Decipher GRID is a genomics database that can be used to identify subtypes of prostate cancer. The assay identifies prostate cancer biomarkers, including ERG, a biomarker that indicates whether a patient could be resistant to certain treatments.
The study, which appeared in the journal European Urology, analyzed a total of 1,577 low, intermediate and high risk patients from several countries, who donated tumor tissue for the investigation. Decipher GRID identified prostate cancer subtypes and was able to identify ERG with 95% accuracy when compared to FISH (Florescent in situ hybridization), a commonly used method.
The researchers looked at several other prostate cancer biomarkers including ETV1, ETV4, ETV5, FLI1 and SPINK1, all of which could be identified by Decipher GRID.
“The findings from this study are important since we know that men with prostate cancer harbor multiple genetically independent tumor clones that may have variable morphology such as Gleason score,” noted Scott A. Tomlins M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Urology and Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School. “That means we may be able to use this technology to profile multiple foci at surgery or biopsy to directly assess the impact of true multi-focality on the Decipher prognostic result or other prognostic signatures. Likewise, as the subtyping is generated from the same data generated as part of the Decipher prognostic test, there isn’t a need to run two different assays to get this information.”
Patients can have the assay covered using Medicare. Researchers developed Decipher GRID based on clinical studies published in 20 peer-reviewed articles. “This study showed us that Decipher can measure the expression of multiple known clonal markers that may be important to our understanding of prostate cancer heterogeneity,” remarked Elai Davicioni Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer at GenomeDx Biosciences. “These results are exciting because they show we can provide additional data for users of the Decipher GRID that may be of impact to men after an initial diagnosis of cancer with a prostate biopsy.”
The technology could greatly improve the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of prostate cancer, contributing to the ongoing trend of personalized medicine tailored to the individual patient. According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in every 7 men will develop prostate cancer in his lifetime. Prostate cancer occurs at older ages, with approximately 6 cases in 10 diagnosed in men aged 65 or older.