Pitt study finds genetic abnormalities in benign or malignant tissues predict relapse of prostate cancer

While active monitoring of serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels in men over 50 has greatly improved early detection of prostate cancer, prediction of clinical outcomes after diagnosis remains a major challenge. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have found that a genetic abnormality known as copy number variation (CNV) in prostate cancer tumors, as well as in the benign prostate tissues adjacent to the tumor and in the blood of patients with prostate cancer, can predict whether a patient will experience a relapse, and the nature of the relapse — aggressive or indolent. Their report is published in the June issue of The American Journal of Pathology.
http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/2012/GeneticAbnormalitiesProstateCancerRelapse