Prostate cancer biomarkers (PCMs) are molecules found in blood, tissue, or body fluids. PCMs are revolutionary new, non-invasive diagnostic tests that may help your healthcare provider decide if your prostate cancer is in fact low risk, if something more aggressive may be lurking in your prostate, or if there are hot spots in the prostate that may need to be re-evaluated upon biopsy. PCMs also can help you and your healthcare provider determine the most appropriate treatment for your cancer.

There are many factors that will make one prostate cancer marker test better suited for individual cases. Many times, individuals who have never had a biopsy or had low to intermediate grade prostate cancer (Gleason 3+3=6 or 3+4=7) diagnosed on a biopsy are well suited for blood or urine prostate cancer markers, whereas individuals who have persistently negative biopsies or a biopsy of intermediate to high grade cancer may benefit from tissue prostate cancer markers. Use this interactive questionnaire to see what tests may be right for you.  Once you’ve completed the questionnaire, discuss the results with your healthcare provider. Also be sure to check out our Patient Journey section that may help you decide which test is right for you.

If you have a negative or atypical biopsy and are wanting more insights about prostate cancer risk, you might consider the tissue-based PCM test:

• Confirm mdx

If your prostate biopsy has a Gleason Score of less than or equal to 7 or if your prostate biopsy has a Gleason Score greater than 7 and you have not yet undergone treatment (surgery or radiation), you and your healthcare provider might consider these tissue-based PCM tests: 

• Decipher Biopsy
• Prolaris 
• Oncotype DX GPS 

If your prostate biopsy has a Gleason Score greater than 7 and you have already undergone treatment, please see Waypoint 4 for additional PCM tests to consider.

Prolaris is a tissue-based prostate cancer marker (PCM) that helps patients and their healthcare providers understand if they may need definitive therapy or if they may be eligible for active surveillance protocol.

Testing with Prolaris is recommended before deciding on prostate cancer treatment options. Any untreated patient diagnosed with localized prostate cancer is a candidate for Prolaris testing, including those who are:

• Newly diagnosed
• Currently on active surveillance

In addition, Prolaris can help make an informed decision about whether or not adding hormone therapy (ADT) may be effective.

The Prolaris Prostate Cancer Prognostic Test analyzes positive cancer tissue from a previous prostate biopsy. The genetic test evaluates a patient’s National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) risk category as compared to the results of 46-gene expressions, including cell cycle progression genes selected based upon correlation with a patient’s prostate tumor cell proliferation. The Prolaris molecular score measures cell proliferation, not including clinical variables. The score falls between 0 and 10, with 0 being the least aggressive and 10 being the most. The Prolaris Score combined with clinical variables show the 10-year risk of prostate cancer specific mortality on active surveillance (0-100%) and 10-year metastasis risk with definitive treatment (0-100%). See a sample Prolaris test result and learn more about how to interpret these results.