Blood test may show if prostate cancer treatment is working

Conclusion This pre-planned analysis of blood samples collected as part of a trial for metastatic prostate cancer suggests that looking at circulating tumour DNA could act as a form of biopsy to inform whether the cancer is responding to treatment. The findings indicate that a decrease in tumour DNA could suggest treatment is working, while the development of new DNA mutations could suggest the cancer is becoming resistant to treatment. But there are several points to bear in mind. Though the findings show promise, this study only looked at blood samples taken from a relatively small sample of 46 men. Only six of these men had gene mutations linked to a poor prognosis. On that basis, the study isn't able to give definite answers at this stage about particular levels of circulating DNA, or any specific mutation changes, that have prognostic significance. The findings need to be followed up in further studies of other men receiving olaparib for advanced prostate cancer. The findings also can't be applied to men with metastatic prostate cancer being treated with any drug other than olaparib, or men being treated for other stages of prostate cancer. And even if a blood test could indicate whether or not a man is responding to treatment for metastatic prostate cancer, these findings don't represent a cure for this advanced stage disease: in the majority of men who initially responded to olaparib, the cancer still eventually progressed.  Nevertheless, if a test were develope...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Source Type: news