Dr. Kohli Discusses Ongoing Correlative Science in Prostate Cancer

Manish Kohli, MD, vice chair, Department of Genitourinary Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, discusses ongoing research with correlative sciences in prostate cancer.

The National Cancer Institute has facilitated bringing correlative sciences into phase II/III trials, says Kohli. Liquid biopsies are becoming an integral aspect of clinical trial designs, he adds. Liquid biopsies can be done with circulating tumor DNA, micro-RNA profiling, or proteomic profiling. As the utility of liquid biopsies continues to be refined, so, too, does the means of collecting and processing blood samples in pre-analytical evaluations. Otherwise, false-positive signatures can result. However, efforts dedicated to standardizing this process are ongoing.

The platforms that are currently being used can vary, says Kohli. Some are designed to evaluate a single signature of a gene, whereas others can evaluate multiple genes at once.

In the post-analytical setting, it can be difficult to know how to translate that information to individual patients. However, that application will help clarify whether a molecular signature is predictive or prognostic for monitoring disease and evaluating minimal residual disease. The data are in early stages of collection, but the work is ongoing, concludes Kohli.