Dr. Scher on Promise of Liquid Biopsies in Prostate Cancer

Howard I. Scher, MD, chief, Genitourinary Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the potential that liquid biopsies will have in the treatment landscape of prostate cancer.

In prostate cancer, the numbers of mutations that clearly predict for sensitivity are fewer, Scher explains. Additionally, it is more difficult to identify the types of changes that are predictive using circulating tumor cell DNA, although there have been many technological advancements.

Research has shown that liquid biopsies can detect overexpression or amplification of the androgen receptor, which is turning out to be a predictor of nonresponse. Now, the assays have to get to the point of establishing analytical validity, he adds. The whole concept of companion diagnostics is where the field is headed, and it is imperative to monitor the change in a tumor over time.