Dr Townsend on the Future Analysis of Prostate Cancer Driver Mutations Using Neoplasm Tissue Samples

Jeffrey P. Townsend, PhD, Elihu Professor of Biostatistics and professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, co-leader, Genomics, Genetics, & Epigenetics Research Program, Yale School of Public Health, discusses analyses of driver mutations in prostate cancer driver using early neoplasm tissue samples to help characterize the molecular and genetic progress of the disease.

At the 2024 AACR Annual Meeting, Townsend and colleagues presented findings from a study examining the selection of genes in low- and high-risk prostate cancer that progresses to metastatic disease. Findings showed that although there is a slight increase in the overall mutation rate as the disease progresses, the key finding lies in the differential selection of mutated genes.

Building on this research, Townsend and colleagues plan to analyze tissue samples of early neoplasms—rather than samples from more mature or metastatic tumors—to determine whether early changes regarding the presence of mutations represent a direct progression toward cancer or if they develop independently of cancer, Townsend notes. This analysis could be beneficial for understanding the genetic pathways through which prostate cancer evolves from its earliest form, he continues.

By analyzing these early-stage samples, Townsend and colleagues hope to uncover whether the disease follows a linear progression from neoplasia to cancer, or if the disease has a more complex and branched evolutionary path.

Understanding these changes could lead to the identification of biomarkers for early detection and provide targets for therapeutic intervention before the disease progresses to a more advanced, potentially malignant state, Townsend says. This approach could offer the opportunity to better understand the disease's genetic progression from an early stage and help inform the development of more precise and effective treatment strategies, he elucidates.

The study of early-stage tissue samples could enhance the understanding of how genetic factors affect the evolution of prostate cancer, particularly in its earliest stages, Townsend concludes.