Molecular Cancer Pathology Update

Genetic variant may eventually enable clinicians to differentiate between aggressive, indolent prostate tumors.
Medscape reported, "One of the biggest issues in prostate cancer is differentiating between men who have aggressive tumors that could be fatal and men who have indolent tumors that might never become clinically significant."

But, findings from a University of California-San Francisco study may ease some of that difficulty. The team identified a genetic variant, which "is located on the KIAA1217 gene," saying that "it shows a person's predisposition to aggressive prostate cancer." The hope is that it will, will enable clinicians to identify with more certainty men who are likely to have aggressive disease," which "could result in less overtreatment."