Prostate cancer: Incorporating genomic biomarkers in prostate cancer decisions

Prostate cancer is the most common solid tumor malignancy among men in the western world. Even without treatment, PCa-specific mortality rates at 5 and 10 years remain low. Nonetheless, many men with newly diagnosed PCa undergo interventional therapies, underappreciating the biologic aggressiveness and subsequent clinical impact regarding their specific PCa pathology. Improved prognostic biomarkers that can provide individualized patient risk assessment are needed to assist informing treatment decisions for patients and physicians. Currently available biomarkers provide clinical information for disease detection, disease aggressiveness and therapeutic response assessment but are not used routinely. This review will provide an overview of the biomarker landscape, specifically focusing on assays that may stratify patients who might appropriately elect active surveillance versus interventional therapy.