Test predicts which patients with prostate cancer most likely to develop long-term side effects from radiation therapy

Medical Xpress / University of California, Los Angeles / Clinical Cancer Research ^ | April 7, 2025 | Denise Heady / Amar U. Kishan et al

[ConservativeMind]

Investigators have validated a test that can accurately predict which patients with prostate cancer are at higher risk of developing long-lasting urinary side effects after receiving radiation therapy.

The test, called PROSTOX, is the first of its kind to use microRNAs to predict toxicity from cancer therapy. It could help prevent the burden of long-term complications by identifying patients most at risk before treatment even begins.

The team validated PROSTOX's ability to predict long-term urinary side effects.

"What makes PROSTOX different is that it looks at a patient's unique genetics to estimate their personal risk of developing side effects from radiation. This helps doctors and patients choose the safest treatment and avoid unnecessary toxicities."

Many men with early-stage disease are treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), a highly precise form of radiation therapy delivered over just five sessions.

But like all forms of radiation therapy, SBRT can still cause side effects.

A common problem patients may have after radiation is urinary side effects that can disrupt daily life, like frequent trips to the bathroom, pain, and an urgent need to go that doesn't always come in time.

In earlier work, Weidhaas and her team discovered that certain inherited genetic differences, especially in areas related to microRNAs. They found people in the high-risk group are about 10 to 12 times more likely to have problems.

In the new study, the researchers set out to confirm that PROSTOX works in a new group of 148 patients with prostate cancer receiving either MRI- or CT-guided SBRT. In addition, the team used machine learning, a type of artificial intelligence, to develop new models to predict acute and chronic urinary toxicity.

Building on these findings, the team emphasizes the importance of integrating genetic testing with modern radiation therapy to further personalize prostate cancer treatment.

[ConservativeMind]

This test is available today and could help steer someone toward a different therapy, or prepare you for what is likely to come.

Seems a worthy test for prostate cancer patients.

[ConservativeMind]

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