Dr. Chi on the Utility of Liquid Biopsy in Prostate Cancer

Kim Chi, MD, senior research scientist, Vancouver Prostate Center, chief medical officer and vice president, BC Cancer, medical oncologist, BC Cancer, and professor, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, discusses the utility of liquid biopsy in prostate cancer.

In lung cancer, where liquid biopsy is more widely utilized, gene alterations can be detected with low levels of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), says Chi.

However, the same point mutations do not exist in prostate cancer, explained Chi. As such, a larger amount of ctDNA is required to appropriately identify an actionable mutation in these men.

Additionally, challenges regarding tissue testing in prostate cancer underscore the need for alternative testing modalities such as a liquid biopsy, says Chi.

Going forward, it is likely that blood-based testing will play a role in identifying men with DNA damage repair alterations, for example, to inform treatment decisions, concludes Chi.