The objectives of this study are:- To establish an international targeted prostate screening study in BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers and men with a negative BRCA1 or BRCA2 test where biological samples can be taken and assessed in this cohort.
- To determine the incidence of raised PSA and abnormal biopsy as a result of PSA screening in this group and determine if the incidence of raised PSA and pathology is different from screen-detected disease in controls who comprise: i) a group of men who are age matched (+/- 5 years) and who have a negative predictive genetic test, ii) two population based screening studies.
- To determine the sensitivity and specificity of PSA screening for prostate cancer in male BRCA1/2 gene mutation carriers and controls.
- To prospectively collect serial serum and urine samples to evaluate new markers of early prostate cancer in BRCA1/2 carriers and controls.
- To gain a better understanding of the pathogenesis of prostate cancer in men with BRCA1 or BRCA 2 mutations. This will be done through further investigation by genomics and post-genomic technologies (including micro-arrays, biochemistry, biological function assays, proteomics, and metabonomics).
The translational research studies aim to:- Investigate new serum markers of prostate cancer and of familial predisposition.
- Study germline and somatic gene expression (blood and tumor RNA studies).
- Conduct immunophenotyping of prostate cancer specimens to identify histopathology features of BRCA1/2 carriers vs. the control group.
|