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Explore Biomarker Testing

Prostate Cancer

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Biomarker testing can lead to precise prostate cancer care.

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It may be a common cancer, but biomarker testing can show the traits that make each prostate cancer subtype unique. It can help doctors move from one-size-fits-all care to more personalized treatment plans. Even if tests show no biomarkers, it's still important and helps your care team better evaluate treatment options.

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Did you know?

Your treatment plan can be based on your biomarkers.

Your plan could include targeted therapy — treatment designed to act on specific features of cancer cells, such as proteins or gene changes identified through biomarker testing, although it can also affect some normal cells.

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About biomarker testing

What are prostate cancer biomarkers?

Cancer biomarkers are small signals in tumor cells, like gene changes or certain levels of proteins, that can show how your cancer behaves and how it may change, grow, or respond to treatment. Even two people with the same type of prostate cancer can have very different biomarkers.

By testing for them, your care team can create an individualized treatment plan — and adjust it if the disease changes over time. As one example, PSA (the most common prostate cancer biomarker) can help identify the care to get ahead of an advancing disease.

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Let’s go over a few of the basics.

Biomarker testing can make a difference in your prostate cancer care. You probably have questions. We have answers.

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Who should get tested?

Anyone who's been newly diagnosed with prostate cancer, or is starting new or alternative care, should ask about biomarker testing.

It's important to test for biomarkers before the cancer has moved beyond the prostate. By looking at the makeup of your cancer, testing can help predict whether the tumor will grow slowly or aggressively — and can help your doctor assess the risk of recurrence if you've already had surgery to remove tumor tissue.

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What will my results show?

In prostate cancer, biomarker testing can show your subtype and reveal if you have actionable biomarkers that can guide more personalized care.

That's because certain biomarkers, like PCA3, have unique characteristics that can indicate the type of cancer treatment you're likely to respond to. This can help determine your eligibility for targeted therapy, how you might respond to immunotherapies — and help reduce the need for repeated biopsies.

It’s important to test for biomarkers, even if the results are inconclusive or negative. Your doctor may recommend getting retested, and it helps them evaluate all your care options.

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Does this impact my care?

If you have any known prostate cancer biomarkers, your doctor can use that information to create, inform, or adjust a personalized treatment plan.

Testing ultimately reveals the unique qualities that determine your eligibility for targeted therapy, and it predicts how you may respond to immunotherapy. It can also inform treatment intensity, so you can be matched with the most effective treatment plan — while removing ineffective options.

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When do I talk to a doctor?

Ask about biomarker testing as soon as you’re diagnosed with prostate cancer, if you start discussing new treatments, or when switching your treatment.

As you talk more, your doctor may recommend comprehensive biomarker testing that looks for all recommended mutations at once, instead of single-gene testing that looks for one biomarker at a time over a longer period.

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What do I need to start asking about testing?

We know talking about biomarkers can feel overwhelming. Knowing what to ask, and having a few talking points ready, can help.

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Here’s how they’re tested.

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Liquid Biopsies

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Tissue Biopsies

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Liquid Biopsies

Liquid biopsies analyze traces of prostate cancer found in blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, and saliva.

Simpler samples, especially urine or blood, can usually be taken at a clinic or your doctor’s office. Since these types of biopsies are typically less invasive, they’re also faster to complete and repeat than a tissue biopsy.

While liquid biopsies can provide similar insights as tissue testing, it still has its limits — the results may not always match tissue biopsies and may miss some cancer changes.

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Tissue Biopsies

Tissue biopsies analyze the cells from a small sample of your prostate cancer to understand its stage, subtype, and mutations.

Bits of tissue are removed from the prostate with a needle before a pathologist examines them in a lab. They’ll measure how much your cancer has progressed, check for gene and protein mutations that could point to targeted therapies, and check if immunotherapy may work for you.

Tissue biopsies are usually an outpatient procedure and do not require an overnight stay, however there are more invasive tissue biopsies that may require a hospital visit.

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Build your knowledge

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Biomarkers can change over time.

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Biomarker changes can occur over time and can reveal the way your tumor is growing or changing, or if it’s developing a resistance to treatment.

New biomarkers can indicate alternative treatment options that may work more effectively. That’s why it’s important to talk to your doctor about retesting before starting a new treatment plan.

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It’s actually true!

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Talk to your doctor

Do you have an appointment soon?

Get a full list of questions to ask about biomarkers, testing, and how it could impact your treatment plan.

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Still have questions?

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What biomarkers do doctors look for in prostate cancer?

Some important biomarkers for prostate cancer are PSA, BRCA2, ATM, CHEK2 and BRCA1. BRCA2 tumors account for almost half of all prostate cancer tumors, but there’s also a high prevalence of CDK12 alterations. There are several other biomarkers that your doctor may test for as well. Make sure to ask about which biomarkers they’ll be looking for.

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Where do I go to get tested?

Where you begin biomarker testing will depend on your need for a liquid biopsy or tissue biopsy.

Liquid biopsies analyze traces of prostate cancer found in blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, and saliva. Simpler, less invasive samples, especially urine or blood, can usually be taken at a clinic or your doctor’s office.

Tissue biopsies analyze the cells from a small sample of your tumor that’s carefully removed with a needle. They’re then sent to a specialized lab for examination. Getting a tissue biopsy for prostate cancer is usually done in an outpatient setting.

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What should I understand about my test results?

When you get your test results, your doctor will go over them with you to help you understand what they mean and how they can be used to determine your treatment options. You’ll most likely discuss:

What biomarkers were found — or if no biomarkers showed up
What treatment options match those specific biomarkers, and which ones may be available to you
If there aren’t treatment matches — what potential clinical trials may be available for those biomarkers, or other treatment options

Build a biomarker discussion guide you can take to your next appointment.

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Will I need to get retested?

Depending on how well your current treatment is working, your doctor may want to have you retested for any changes to your disease and the biomarkers that may show up.

Since changes can occur over time, it can reveal the way your tumor is growing or changing, or if it’s developing a resistance to treatment.

New biomarkers can indicate alternative treatment options that may work more effectively.

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Are there communities and advocacy groups I can join?

There are many patient advocacy and support groups in the prostate cancer community. Here are a couple to get you started with connecting to other patients and caregivers, as well as resources to support you during your journey:

prostateconditions.org

zerocancer.org

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