Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in American men. The current methods of screening for prostate cancer, which include digital rectal examinations (DREs) and serum levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA), do not detect many prostate tumors including some which are high grade and aggressive. In an effort to find better biomarkers for prostate cancer detect and prognosis. The San Antonio Center for Biomarkers of Risk of prostate cancer and genitourinary cancers (SABOR) was established in 2001. SABOR has gathered a population-based, minority-rich, cohort with extensive clinical data and biospecimens while tracking cancer-related outcomes. This cohort has been utilized for the discovery and validation of numerous new biomarkers for prostate cancer. Furthermore, specimens have been gathered for studies of bladder and kidney cancers that have been utilized by EDRN collaborators in biomarker discovery. In addition to these efforts, substantial progress has been made in the development and enhancement of the EDRN-PCPT Prostate Cancer Risk Calculator. The Risk Calculator uses numerous variables and biomarkers in addition to PSA and DRE to predict a man's risk of prostate cancer and, if detected, the chance of high-grade disease. In this current proposal, 3 specific aims are proposed: 1) We will conduct validation studies on promising serum-based biomarkers of prostate cancer;2) We will conduct validation studies of genomic markers of prostate cancer prognosis;3) We will employ results from our validation studies as well as EDRN-wide and other well-conducted validation studies to expand the applicability of the Prostate Cancer Risk Calculator, leading to individualized patient risk assessment. In support of these validation studies, the SABOR cohort will continue to be followed and additional biologies will be gathered on prostate cancer patients with long-term outcome data. In addition, the SABOR scientific personnel will continue to conduct EDRN Network validation studies, serve in leadership positions within the Network, and assist the EDRN with the design, conduct, and analysis of early detection validation studies that will alter the standard of care practice in the United States.
The early detection of cancer is critical for informed patient decision making. Beyond determination of cancer risk, the steps that this project is taking to improve the determination of presence of potentially life-threatening cancer versus cancer which may never cause problems (prognostic tests) will allow an increased focus on detection of important cancers and decrease the burden of care on those men who do not need it.
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