Moffitt Cancer Center researchers develop biomarkers for prostate cancer therapy

Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center, in collaboration with Oxford University, have developed three mathematical biomarkers designed to personalize adaptive therapy for prostate cancer. Published in JAMA Oncology, the study introduces measures calculated from routine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood tests to predict how individual patients might respond to treatment.

Unlike standard continuous high-dose drug administration, which can lead to treatment resistance, adaptive therapy involves pausing treatment when cancer is under control and restarting it when growth is detected. This method aims to slow the expansion of drug-resistant cell populations. The new biomarkers—including the Adaptive Therapy Score (AT Score) and Expected Time to Progression (eTTP)—utilize data from the first treatment cycle to help physicians identify which patients are most likely to benefit from this cycling approach.

In independent testing, these mathematical measures predicted disease progression and overall survival more accurately than conventional PSA measurements alone.