Dr. Pettaway on Importance of Inclusive Germline Testing in Prostate Cancer

Curtis A. Pettaway, MD, professor, Department of Urology, Division of Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the need to include the genomic data of African American, Asian, and Hispanic men with prostate cancer in national registries.

Although African American men have a higher frequency and mortality of prostate cancer than Caucasian men, there is a lack of data regarding these patients’ germline predisposition to the disease.

Pettaway believes that enrolling these patients in registry trials is key to understanding which men should be tested for genetic alterations in DNA repair genes or genes associated with hereditary cancers, such as BRCA1/2.

Moreover, long-term follow-up of these patients may shed light on gene expressions, clinical outcomes, and clinical variables that are specific to African American, Asian, or Hispanic men.

Additionally, understanding the genetic components of disease could provide insight into more individualized treatment strategies and tailored gene panels.