Dr Wise on the Impact of Genetic Testing on Patient Outcomes in Prostate Cancer

David R. Wise, MD, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Medicine, Department of Urology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine; director, Genitourinary Medical Oncology, NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, discusses his presentation from an OncLive® State of the Science Summit™ on prostate cancer, during where he discussed the treatment of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

Wise says that the primary objective of his presentation was to delve into the latest developments in the management of mCRPC in men. The central theme was the pivotal role of genetics in guiding and transforming clinical approaches to prostate cancer treatment, Wise begins. Notably, men with metastatic prostate cancer, particularly those with low-volume disease, are experiencing unprecedented improvements and long-term benefits with androgen receptor [AR]–targeted doublet, he states. Despite these outcomes, there remain subsets of men who require enhanced interventions due to more rapid disease progression, Wise explains.

A key focus of prostate cancer research has been the development of biomarkers that can identify such individuals, Wise states. Significant biomarkers currently include BRCA2 and other members of the homologous repair deficiency gene family. Ongoing debate regarding the prognostic value of BRCA2 mutations has been addressed by recent prospective studies, which revealed that men with prostate cancer harboring BRCA2 mutations experience more aggressive disease and poorer outcomes. Thus, the identification of patients with BRCA2mutations emerges as a critical aspect for designing optimal treatment approaches, he emphasizes.

It is also important to understand who should undergo genetic sequencing, Wise concludes.