Prostate cancer detection often presents a challenge due to limitations of traditional screening methods. While prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood tests are widely used, they can lead to ambiguous results, indicating elevated PSA levels that may not always signify aggressive cancer. This imprecision has historically led to many men undergoing unnecessary prostate biopsies. MyProstateScore (MPS) is an advanced diagnostic tool that provides more precise risk assessments for prostate cancer.
Understanding MyProstateScore
MyProstateScore (MPS) is a urine-based genomic test designed to clarify prostate cancer risk for men with elevated PSA levels. Its primary purpose is to assist in deciding if a prostate biopsy is necessary, aiming to reduce unnecessary invasive procedures. MPS combines information from multiple biological markers, offering a more comprehensive evaluation than a PSA test alone. The test was developed and validated on nearly 2,000 individuals to ensure its reliability in predicting cancer presence and aggressiveness. MPS differentiates between benign causes of elevated PSA and actual prostate cancer, including potentially aggressive forms.
How MyProstateScore Identifies Risk
The MyProstateScore test begins with a non-invasive sample collection. A healthcare professional performs a digital rectal exam (DRE) before the patient provides a urine sample. The first 20-30 mL of voided urine is collected within one hour of the DRE. This post-DRE urine sample is then processed to analyze specific biomarkers.
MyProstateScore analyzes three markers for risk assessment: Prostate Cancer Gene 3 (PCA3), the TMPRSS2:ERG (T2-ERG) gene fusion, and the patient’s serum PSA level. PCA3 and T2-ERG are specific to prostate cancer. Combining these three markers predicts the risk of prostate cancer detection through biopsy.
What Your MyProstateScore Means
The MyProstateScore is reported as a percentage, representing the likelihood of detecting clinically significant prostate cancer on biopsy. This individualized risk estimate ranges from 0% to 100%. For example, a 10% score suggests a 10% chance of cancer detection, often with a 95% confidence interval.
Results are categorized into “low risk” or “increasing risk” of high-grade prostate cancer. A low-risk score indicates a reduced likelihood of aggressive cancer, potentially allowing for monitoring instead of an immediate biopsy. For men who have not had a previous biopsy, a low-risk result with MyProstateScore 2.0 (MPS2) has a negative predictive value of 93% to 95%, meaning 93 to 95 out of 100 men with such a result would have a biopsy negative for clinically significant cancer. Conversely, an “increasing risk” score suggests a higher probability of aggressive disease, prompting further investigation like a prostate biopsy. MyProstateScore is one piece of information a doctor considers alongside other clinical findings, such as family history and physical examination results.
MyProstateScore in the Diagnostic Journey
MyProstateScore is used as an adjunct to existing diagnostic methods. It is often recommended for men with an elevated PSA result, before an initial prostate biopsy. The test helps differentiate between benign conditions that elevate PSA and actual prostate cancer, particularly high-grade, aggressive forms.
For men on active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer, MyProstateScore provides additional insights to guide management decisions. It complements tools like digital rectal exams and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) by providing a non-invasive, objective assessment of risk. MyProstateScore aims to reduce unnecessary biopsies for men without aggressive prostate cancer, while identifying those who need a biopsy for potentially aggressive disease.