Techniques: Genetic profiling of circulating tumor cells to stratify prostate cancer patients

Genetic profiling of circulating tumor cells could be used to predict prostate cancer prognosis and stratify patients for treatment. RNA transcripts from 1,321 human prostate tumors were used to create a prostate cancer classification system that stratifies patients into three disease subgroups based on expression levels of genes involved in various molecular pathways. In a proof-of-concept study, patients stratified into one subgroup using a 37-gene panel on circulating tumor cells or prostate tissue samples had increased rates of Xtandi enzalutamide resistance and metastatic progression and decreased overall survival compared with other subgroups. Next steps could include optimizing the assay to improve accuracy...