New tool can help identify metastatic prostate cancer risk earlier

• Researchers have developed a simple new tool that can identify the risk level of metastatic prostate cancer patients earlier.
• At the time of diagnosis, the test can predict how well the patient will respond to treatment for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC)
• Importantly, it can identify high-risk patients who are more likely to have a poor response to treatment.

A recent abstract published in Nature Communications outlines a new, easy-to-use tool that could help guide early treatment discussions for people with mHSPC.

In a nutshell, the innovative system predicts early favorable prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response in people with mHSPC who have been prescribed an androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI).

ARPI are a mainstay in the treatment of prostate cancer, and are being used increasingly often.

Although modern treatment protocols are consistently improved and updated, there is still room for improvement.

“Prostate cancer is the most common solid tumor in men, and in both the United Kingdom and the United States, it is the second leading cause of death from cancer in men,” Michael Morris, MD, told Medical News Today.

Morris, a genitourinary medical oncologist from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, was not involved in the study. He also explained that “the global prevalence of prostate cancer is rising.”