Prostate Cancer

There have recently been two exciting developments in the field of retail genomics that may dramatically improve our ability to predict which men will develop prostate cancer. Two new DNA tests will soon be available to the public!

Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine found that five genetic variants associated with prostate cancer have a strong cumulative effect. Men with four of the five variants have a risk of developing prostate cancer that is 4 to 5 times greater than that of men without any of the variants. A man with these variants who also has a family history of prostate cancer has an increased risk factor of over 900 percent! These five genetic variants and a family history of prostate cancer account for almost half of prostate cancer patients.

The researchers also found that the risk associated with the genetic variants is independent of PSA results. It may be possible that some men who are currently thought to have a low risk of prostate cancer because of a low PSA level may still carry a significant risk of developing the disease. Genetic testing of these five variants will soon be offered at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. For more information call 866-487-2344.

The second exciting development comes from our friends at deCODE genetics. Their new deCODE PrCa™ DNA test identifies eight known genetic variants associated with prostate cancer. Because of these variants, 10% of men are at twice the risk and 1% of men are at three times the risk of the disease in the general population. The test is now available and costs $500.

The company plans to integrate tests for these genetic variants into its deCODEme personal genome service.