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Genetic testing for prostate and breast cancer comes a step closer Genetic testing for prostate and breast cancer comes a step closer
(35 minutes later)
New research announced on Wednesday brings us a step closer to genetic testing for prostate and breast cancers. Although we are really excited about these findings, it is important to emphasise that these tests are not yet ready to roll out into the clinic just yet. As a researcher it is always tricky to estimate when we expect to see one of our discoveries going into the clinic, but our best guess is that this may be three to five years away. Research announced on Wednesday brings us a step closer to genetic testing for prostate and breast cancers. Although we are really excited about these findings, it is important to emphasise that these tests are not yet ready to roll out into the clinic just yet.
Although our work means that we can identify the top 1% of men that are 50% likely to develop prostate cancer in a lifetime, once we have identified these men we do not yet know how best to screen them to monitor whether they have developed early stage cancer. There are a few different options for screening and they all have pros and cons. Screening could take place by MRI scan, although this is costly and still at a research stage. Biopsies are invasive and have obvious downsides. Using the PSA test for prostate cancer is also a possibility but we are not sure how successful this would be as it can give false results or find prostate cancer that will not progress in the man's lifetime. Further research will be needed before we make our choice. As a researcher it is always tricky to estimate when we expect to see one of our discoveries going into the clinic, but our best guess is that this may be three to five years away.
Before implementing any test we would have to think carefully about how we communicated this to the public. Men should get clear information about what the test is before deciding whether they want to be tested. How the test is put into practice also needs to be determined; there is a lot of debate about this at the moment. My best guess is that we will test men via their GP and that the test would involve spitting into a test tube, but we need more research to know this. Although our work means that we can identify the top 1% of men that are 50% likely to develop prostate cancer in a lifetime, once we have identified these men we do not yet know how best to screen them to monitor whether they have developed early stage cancer.
There are many that would argue that screening like this would be expensive. But our research uses £30 gene chips to screen 200,000 markers. If we can identify the small numbers of men most at risk of prostate cancer we can focus our screening efforts on them. Treating prostate cancer early is significantly more successful, and we know this could save men's lives. This is important; over 40,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK each year and almost 11,000 men die from the disease. There are a few different options for screening and they all have pros and cons. Screening could take place by MRI scan, although this is costly and still at a research stage. Biopsies are invasive and have obvious downsides. Using the PSA test for prostate cancer is also a possibility but we are not sure how successful this would be as it can give false results or find prostate cancer that will not progress in the patient's lifetime. Further research will be needed before we make our choice.
Before implementing any test we would have to think carefully about how we communicated this to the public. Men should get clear information about what the test is before deciding whether they want to be tested.
How the test is put into practice also needs to be determined; there is a lot of debate about this at the moment. My best guess is that we will test men via their GP and that the test would involve spitting into a test tube.
There are many that would argue that screening like this would be expensive. But our research uses £30 gene chips to screen 200,000 markers. If we can identify the small numbers of men most at risk of prostate cancer, we can focus our screening efforts on them. Treating prostate cancer early is significantly more successful, and we know this could save men's lives. This is important; more than 40,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK each year and almost 11,000 die from the disease.
• Ros Eeles is professor of oncogenetics at the Institute of Cancer Research and honorary clinical consultant at the Royal Marsden NHS foundation trust• Ros Eeles is professor of oncogenetics at the Institute of Cancer Research and honorary clinical consultant at the Royal Marsden NHS foundation trust