Chapter 4 - Tumor genomic and germline testing 4.1 Tumor genomic and germline testing At its most basic understanding, cancer is caused by changes, or alterations, to a cell’s genetic code. These alterations change the way the cell behaves, including when it grows, divides, or dies. Cells that are unable to be repaired by the body can lead to cancer and cancerous tumors. Advancements in prostate cancer treatment guidelines now include tumor genomic and germline tests to help doctors understand different aspects of your cancer to better personalize your care.
What is Tumor Genomic Testing? Since every cancer is unique, tumor genomic tests, like the Prolaris® test, look at the cancer to see how it is behaving and how aggressively it is growing. This information is then used to inform patients about their risk of dying from prostate cancer or cancer spreading outside of the prostate into other areas of the body (metastasis). This personalized information will help you and your doctor plan out the best treatment strategy for you. For example, if you have a slow-growing cancer you may not need treatment right away or at all. Your doctor may recommend actively monitoring your cancer which could help you avoid the side effects that treatment could cause. Fastergrowing cancers may need to be treated more aggressively to give you the best possible outcome. Genomic tests can also tell if you will respond favorably to certain therapies, like hormone therapy.
What is needed to perform the test? Tumor genomic testing is preformed on a small sample of cancers tissue. If you already have a prostate cancer diagnosis, no additional biopsy is needed. If you do not yet have a diagnosis, your doctor will perform a biopsy to remove a sample of tissue needed for these types of tests.
The Prolaris genomic test is personalized to me; it takes a look at the cancer and measures it in its individual aggressiveness.” - Tim Petracca, Prostate Cancer Patient Follow his journey
