The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) recently released a study, which concluded that 11.8% of metastatic prostate cancer cases were caused by germline gene mutations leading to hereditary prostate cancer.
The study involved 692 men from the United States and United Kingdom who have documented metastatic prostate cancer. Eighty-four germline mutations in 16 different genes were identified in 82 men; two of those men had two mutations in two different genes. A higher mutation detection rate was found in men with metastatic prostate cancer in this study, than had been previously reported in men with early stage prostate cancer.
In response to the NEJM study, Dr. Kenneth Offit, well- known medical oncologist, concluded that all doctors who see advanced prostate cancer patients should conduct genetic testing on them, according to G2 Diagnostic Testing & Emerging Technologies newsletter.
Fortunately, Ambry has launched ProstateNext, a hereditary prostate cancer panel that tests 14-genes associated with high and moderate risk for prostate cancer through next generation sequencing (NGS) and deletion/duplication analysis. This test was designed to offer clinicians across the country and around the globe a comprehensive way to screen patients for hereditary prostate cancer and additional diseases such as male breast cancer.
In addition to our newly developed ProstateNext, Ambry houses 12 other cancer testing options, including our recently created CustomNext-Cancer, a NGS panel that allows clinicians to analyze up to 55 genes of their choice. This test gives clinicians the ability to target genes associated with 13 different types of cancers, including prostate, which will provide more individualized testing for each patient’s needs and empower patients to be more proactive in their healthcare.
ProstateNext arrives at a time when there’s an increased focused on men’s health. From September’s concentration on prostate cancer to October’s focus on breast cancer and November dedicated to men’s health awareness, each of these campaigns is committed to making the public more informed about cancer as well as to provide patients with helpful resources and information. Ambry encourages patients at increased risk to seek testing in order to better understand their risks for specific types of cancers.
As medical research and newly developed technology progresses, so does Ambry. We are passionate about providing clinicians with the most comprehensive and detailed information to help further specifically designed treatments and management plans for their patients. Stay tuned to Ambry’s newsletter, blogs and social media channels for more testing updates coming soon.
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