

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis in men and the second leading cause of male cancer death in the United States, with approximately 35,000 deaths per year. Screening with Prostate Specific Antigen testing (PSA) and early detection of prostate cancer has been demonstrated to save lives. However, MRI-guided prostate biopsies on all patients with elevated PSA can cost thousands of dollars and are known to have high rates of interobserver variability. Given the finite amount of MRI availability, patients are often booked months after their elevated PSA test, leading to significant patient anxiety and distress. Urine Molecular Fingerprinting™ (UMF) may be a useful tool in the detection and management of prostate cancer, building on previous studies of bladder cancer (Huttanus, et. al). RTI, in collaboration with Virginia Commonwealth University Health/Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center physicians and scientists, and with sponsorship from the American Cancer Society, will use UMF to profile urine specimens from 125 patients with suspicion of prostate cancer – based on elevated PSA levels. The results of this 18-month study may lead to the use of UMF™ as a simple, cost-effective method for screening men for prostate cancer and for monitoring their progress during treatment.
