Dr. Samadi's Prostate Cancer Center now offers Oncotype DX genetic test

Revolutionary genetic test, Oncotype DX from Genomic Health, is now offered at Dr. Samadi's Prostate Cancer Center in New York City.

For men with an elevated PSA, high-risk for prostate cancer or who've had a previous biopsy, Oncotype DX may be the next step in assessing the potential growth rate of the tumor or how aggressive the cancer currently is. This directly leads to which treatment option is right for the patient. This genetic test gives us the ability to treat each patient individually," said Dr. Samadi.

The Oncotype DX Genomic Prostate Score is a biopsy-based genetic test that can be combined with other measures to predict the aggressiveness of prostate cancer. The test applies advanced genomic science to reveal the unique biology of a tumor in order to optimize cancer treatment decisions for each individual patient.

"Oncotype DX among other genetic tests such as the 4K Score and PCA3 outline the individual patient's genetic profile, specifically associated with prostate cancer. I see hundreds of men each month and understanding their risk for aggressive forms of the disease early on is invaluable to treatment and cure rate," stressed Dr. Samadi.

The test is a multi-gene RT-PCR expression analysis developed to work in combination with prostate needle biopsies. It measures the expression of 12 cancer-related genes representing four biological pathways and 5 reference genes, which are then combined to calculate the Genomic Prostate Score (GPX). This biopsy-based score has been clinically validated as a predictor of aggressive prostate cancer.

"Now that we've moved from Ultrasound to MRI Biopsy, genetic tests such as Oncotype DX may actually enable us to crack the code and diagnose aggressive prostate cancer earlier," said Dr. Samadi.

Three studies presented at the 110^th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association this year showed this test improved patient risk assessment for high and low-risk prostate cancers and even reduced cost of overall prostate cancer care. The Oncotype DX Genomic Prostate Score (GPS) has also shown promise in helping to further examine the biology and development of prostate cancer in African American men who are at a high risk for the disease.

"We're confident this new era of personalized medicine combined with genetic testing will better detect and distinguish aggressive prostate cancer, leading to the right treatment for each patient. The foundation stems from individualized care, even when it comes to treating a disease that is this prominent," noted Dr. Samadi.