Protein-Based Test Improves Prognostic Accuracy for Prostate Cancer

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 28 Oct 2014

A protein-based biopsy test has been designed to improve the accuracy of prognosis for men diagnosed with prostate cancer and can help identify the aggressiveness of the disease.

The first-of-its-kind test works by measuring the amount of specific protein biomarkers obtained by needle biopsy from regions of prostate tissue where the biomarkers are altered during tumor formation.

Image: Histopathology of prostatic acinar adenocarcinoma, the most common form of prostate cancer, Gleason pattern 4, from prostate curettings (Photo courtesy of Nephron).

The biopsy test called ProMark (Metamark; Cambridge, MA, USA) has been validated in multiple clinical studies totaling more than 1,250 cases, all of which demonstrated the ability to differentiate between aggressive and non-aggressive forms of prostate cancer at early stages of disease. The blinded clinical validation study showed ProMark predicted which patients had low-risk disease with a high sensitivity, thereby helping to identify patients who may be appropriate candidates for active surveillance or in need of aggressive therapy. ProMark uses a novel, automated, quantitative protein-based multiplex imaging platform.

Neal D. Shore, MD, medical director of the Carolina Urologic Research Center (Myrtle Beach, SC, USA), said, “Enhancing risk stratification is especially important with newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients, which can assist with their understanding of treatment options. Adding a proteomic test, in addition to traditional metrics of physical examination, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, and histopathology, could improve shared decision making. The ProMark test may provide the healthcare community with additional information to assist distinguishing indolent from aggressive prostate cancer, thus better informing decisions on an appropriate course of treatment or surveillance.”

Shawn Marcell, BA, the CEO of Metamark, said, “ProMark is a valuable tool that will address the urology community's unmet need for having actionable information, by providing an individualized risk assessment to men whose biopsies have indicated disease presence. Metamark has served the urology space exclusively for years, and as such, we understand the unique challenges and uncertainties faced by patients and physicians.”

Related Links:
Metamark
Carolina Urologic Research Center