Prostate Biomarker Study

Radical Prostatectomy (removal of the prostate) or radiation therapy provide excellent outcomes for patients with localized (confined to one area) disease, yet there is still no effective treatment once the disease has spread beyond the prostate gland. Typically, a serum PSA test is done to diagnose prostate cancer. Following diagnosis, a prostate biopsy and other tests help to classify the patient's disease according to the likelihood of a recurrence. However, these assessments are imperfect. There is a need to identify and evaluate prostate biomarkers that will provide exact information regarding the likelihood of a recurrence (prediction) of prostate cancer.

The Inter-SPORE Prostate Biomarkers Study (IPBS) was established to prospectively collect and analyze biological specimens to predict and validate outcomes after treatment for prostate cancer. The study population will consist of patients scheduled to receive standard of care therapy for localized prostate cancer, either radical prostatectomy (RP) or radiation therapy (XRT; includes external beam radiation, brachytherapy, or both). Seven hundred (700) patients (350 RP, 350 XRT) will be recruited from 11 SPORE sites over a two-year interval. We will collect serum, plasma, lymphocytes, and prostate tissue samples for distribution to collaborating biomarker validation sites at other prostate SPOREs, along with clinical and epidemiologic data.