A patient’s guide to hereditary prostate cancer
What is hereditary prostate cancer?
The benefits of knowing if you have a hereditary mutation is critical in helping you and your doctor manage your cancer now and in the future.
Hereditary cancer occurs when a gene mutation is passed down from parent to child. These mutations, like BRCA1/2 , can cause normal cell-related functions to not work properly, increasing the likelihood of developing cancer. Knowing this information early on can help patients and their physicians understand if their cancer could be more aggressive, and can help inform initial treatment decisions.
• If you have a gene mutation, your parents, children, and siblings could have a 50% chance of having the same gene mutation.
• Other blood relatives (aunts, uncles and cousins) on the same side of the family are at risk of carrying the same gene mutation.
• Genetic testing is the primary way to identify gene mutations, which could impact your medical management.
• Remember, you can inherit a gene mutation from either your mother or your father, so it is important to look at both sides of your family.
1 in 6 prostate cancers are hereditary 1
How does genetic testing work?
Genetic tests use next-generation sequencing technology to analyze small samples of blood or saliva to check for actionable mutations that may exist in every cell of your body – not just your cancer cells. Powerful genetic tests, like MyRisk ® Hereditary Cancer testing, offer peace of mind by providing information to help your physician customize your cancer care. These genetic tests are the same type of tests that women with breast cancer and men and women with colon cancer routinely get to help customize their treatment plans.
How can genetic testing change treatment decisions?
If you qualify for genetic testing, results can tell you if you have any mutations that could cause your disease to be more aggressive or increase your risk of developing a secondary cancer. Genetic testing can also help qualify you for new prostate cancer medications should your cancer spread or if you already have metastatic disease.
Benefits for newly diagnosed patients:
• Understand if you may have a more aggressive cancer
• Guide initial treatment decisions, like "Am I safe for active surveillance?"
• Inform family members of elevated cancer risk
Benefits for advanced/ metastatic patients:
• Qualify for advanced therapies, like PARP inhibitors
• Qualify for personalized cancer trials
• Understand your risk of developing a second cancer
1. Prevalence of Germline Variants in Prostate Cancer and Implications for Current Genetic Testing Guidelines Nicolosi et al. JAMA Oncol 2019.
If you can answer yes to any of the criteria below, you may be a good candidate for MyRisk ® Hereditary Cancer Testing and should discuss it further with your healthcare provider. 2
Metastatic prostate cancer
High-/Very high-risk prostate cancer
Personal history of prostate cancer with family history and/or ancestry of:
Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry
≥1 close blood relative* with:
• Ovarian cancer at any age
• Pancreatic cancer at any age
• Breast cancer ≤ 50 years old
• Triple-negative breast cancer at any age
• Male breast cancer at any age
• High-risk, very high-risk, or metastatic prostate cancer
≥ 3 close blood relatives* with prostate cancer (any grade) and/or breast cancer on the same side of the family, including the patient with prostate cancer
*First, second or third degree relative on the same side of the family.
Patients with certain mutations and localized prostate cancer are 3 :
More likely to die from prostate cancer within 5 years 6X More likely to develop metastasis within 5 years 4X
2. Referenced with permission from the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) for Guideline Name V.3.2024. © National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. 2024. All rights reserved. Accessed [May 21, 2024]. To view the most recent and complete version of the guideline, go online to NCCN.org. NCCN makes no warranties of any kind whatsoever regarding their content, use, or application and disclaims any responsibility for their application or use in anyway.
3. Germline BRCA mutations are associated with Higher Risk of Nodal Involvement, Distant Metastasis, and poor Survival Outcomes in Prostate Cancer Castro et al. J Clin Oncol 31 (2013)
MyRisk ® Hereditary Cancer test results
Positive
• A genetic mutation was found in 1 or more of the genes tested
• You are at an increased of developing a second cancer
• A summary of medical management guidelines will be provided specific to your gene mutation(s)
Elevated
• No genetic mutation was found in the genes tested
• You are at elevated risk for cancer based on an analysis of additional genetic markers, personal clinical risk factors, and/or your family's history of cancer
• A summary of medical management guidelines will be provided based on your elevated risk
Negative
• No genetic mutation was found in the genes tested
• The common causes of hereditary cancer have been ruled out, but depending on family history of cancer, increased risks could still remain
• Depending on your family history, medical management is usually based on general population screening guidelines; however, you should talk with your healthcare provider to determine if there are any changes in medical management that are right for you
Variant of uncertain significance (VUS)
• A change in a gene has been identified
• It is not yet known if the change is associated with increased cancer risk
• Medical management based on personal and family history of cancer is recommended until more is understood about this specific change
• If new information becomes available about a specific VUS detected in your testing, Myriad will contact your healthcare provider
Better answers about your prostate cancer
MyRisk® testing is easy. If you qualify for testing, it can be done in the comfort of your home by providing a saliva sample, or at your providers office through a blood draw. Your sample will then be shipped to Myriad Genetics for analysis. We recognize that timely results matter and our testing is fast, with results typically available in under 2 weeks.
How can I get MyRisk?
Request a MyRisk test kit now!
1. Request a test kit below
2. Work with your provider to obtain a sample
3. Results available in around 2 weeks
Request test kit
Need help getting started?
From answering common questions about insurance or testing benefits to working directly with your doctor, our experienced customer support team is here for you.
How to contact us:
Email: Urologytestsupport@myriad.com
Phone: 513-216-4752
You have access to pre- and post-test consults with a patient educator, a board-certified genetic counselor, at no additional cost
Pre-test education
Speak with a certified genetic counselor at Myriad if you have any questions about genetic testing. Call 888-356-0630
Post-test education consult
To help answer any questions that you may have about your result, go to my.myriad.com/consults . You will need your accession number located at the top of your result.
Genetic testing impacts lives
“It had affected my family as much as it had affected just me. My two daughters have since learned they are positive.”
Ed Hoppe
“I did get this gene mutation from my dad, there’s a 50/50 percent chance that my kids could have it.”
Emily Hoppe
“As a father, who has a son and a daughter where breast cancer and prostate cancer could clearly be a risk, germline testing was the answer."
Tim Petracca
“If something unusual is happening with a patient, they probably have something in their germline that is abnormal and should be a differential to think about getting genetic testing done."
Kara Cossis, Advanced Practice Provider
Request a MyRisk Test Kit today!
Your ally in prostate cancer treatment
Myriad has invested over 30 years in developing tests and solutions that help provide the best answers and care possible.
Our tests are:
• Accurate: Myriad tests offer industry-leading accuracy so you can feel confident in the results. From hereditary cancer to precision medicine, our tests are designed to give providers and patients the most accurate answers possible.
• Actionable: Myriad makes genetic testing simple with clear, actionable results. We create easy-to-understand reports to ensure that both patients and their providers can use the information to guide treatment options based on national medical guidelines.
• Secure: Myriad believes that results and genetic information belong to the patient. We take multiple steps to ensure that the security and privacy of patient data is not comprised, and we believe that patients should be in control of their information.
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