On September 3, 2020 Invitae (NYSE: NVTA), a leading medical genetics company, reported enrollment has begun for a nationwide study to better understand the role of current genetic testing guidelines in ensuring prostate cancer patients receive testing to identify clinically relevant genetic variants that can inform prognosis and support access to targeted therapies (Press release, Invitae, SEP 3, 2020, View Source [SID1234564389]). The study is supported by Invitae and is part of the company’s ongoing work to increase access to genetic information for men with prostate cancer.
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Invitae’s (NVTA) mission is to bring comprehensive genetic information into mainstream medical practice to improve the quality of healthcare for billions of people. www.invitae.com (PRNewsFoto/Invitae Corporation)
"Currently, germline testing guidelines for patients with prostate cancer have evolved from more than one set of NCCN guidelines and some may still find these guidelines difficult to implement in everyday practice," said Neal D. Shore, M.D., F.A.C.S. from the Carolina Urologic Research Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and the principal investigator of the study. "Guidelines were established when testing was both more expensive and less accessible and don’t address newer therapeutic approvals and trial literature for expanding therapeutic options, missing many patients whose clinical care and treatment choices could benefit from genetic information. Our study is intended to provide a deeper understanding of how these issues impact the care of men with prostate cancer so that we might improve how genetic information can be assessed and utilized for their cancer care and potentially inform their family members."
The use and importance of genetic information in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer has been growing, particularly as the development of targeted treatments continues to accelerate. Despite its utility, guidelines governing testing among prostate cancer patients remain restrictive, and genetic information is underutilized in prostate cancer care. The study will determine whether guidelines are adequate in identifying patients who may benefit from genetic testing.
"Simplifying and possibly expanding current testing guidelines would provide benefits for medical management of men with prostate cancer and offer opportunities for targeted therapies, including PARP inhibitors and qualification for clinical trials," said Robert Nussbaum, M.D., chief medical officer of Invitae. "In addition, the genes involved in prostate cancer include BRCA1 and 2, which as we all know also play an important role in breast and ovarian cancer, and MSH6 and other genes involved in hereditary colon cancer. Widespread testing among men with prostate cancer could have an important role in not only improving their care but also the health of their relatives."
The study will enroll men across the country who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Both men who meet and don’t meet current testing guidelines will be included to gather data on whether genetic testing results change treatment and recommendations. In addition, the study will also gather data on the patient’s experience with genetic testing.
A study presented recently by Invitae at the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) underscored the frequency of actionable variants expanded testing can help uncover. The study of 2,252 men found an overall positive rate of 13% with no statistical differences in rates among stages of disease. Only half of patients with an actionable variant reported a family history suggestive of increased risk. Nearly three-quarters (71%) of positive patients were eligible for management guidelines and/or potentially eligible for approved precision therapies or clinical trials.
An estimated three million men are living with prostate cancer in the U.S., and just under 200,000 are newly diagnosed each year.