A study looking at using genetic testing as part of the management for prostate cancer

Cancer type:

Prostate cancer

Status:

Open

Phase:

Other

This study is looking at whether genetic testing could guide the screening of and treatment for men with prostate cancer.

It is open to men who have prostate cancer. And men who don’t have prostate cancer but have a family history Open a glossary item of prostate cancer.

More about this trial

There are many different factors that might increase your risk of developing prostate cancer.

Researchers know that some changes (mutations Open a glossary item ) in your genes might increase your risk of developing prostate cancer. There are several gene changes that are known to increase the risk of prostate cancer. Some of these are common and some are rarer.

Some of these gene changes can cause a large increase in the risk. Others a much smaller risk. Occasionally just having one of these gene changes running through the family can cause prostate cancer. We know such changes are rare. But they might be more common in men:

who develop prostate cancer under the age of 70
whose prostate cancer grows very quickly or spreads to another part of the body

The aims of this study are to find out:

how widespread these genetic changes are
whether doctors can use this information when thinking about screening, diagnosing and treating men with prostate cancer

Who can enter

The following bullet points are a summary of the entry conditions for this study. Talk to your doctor or the study team if you are unsure about any of these. They will be able to advise you.

Who can take part

This study is open to men who have prostate cancer and men who don’t. There are different entry conditions for each group.

Men who have prostate cancer
You may be able to join this study if one of the following apply. You:

are 70 years old or younger and have prostate cancer

have prostate cancer that has spread to another part of the body or has started to grow again

have prostate cancer and there is a family history of prostate cancer. This could be there are 2 or more men in the family who have prostate cancer and 1 of them was diagnosed at 70 years old or younger. Or it could be there are 3 or more men in the family such as your father, brother or uncle who have prostate cancer.

Men who don’t have prostate cancer
You may be able to join this study if you are 30 years old or older and there is a family history of prostate cancer.

A family history includes one of the following.

You have a first degree relative such as your father or brother who was diagnosed with prostate cancer at 70 years old or younger.
There are 2 or more men in the family diagnosed with prostate cancer at 70 years old or younger. They can be either a first degree relative or a second degree relative such as an uncle.
There are 3 or more men in the family that have prostate cancer. They must all be from the same side of the family. This means that the family members who have prostate cancer are either only from your father’s side or only from your mother’s side.

Who can’t take part

You cannot join this study if you are in a chair or bed all the time and need complete care.

Trial design

There are 2 groups in this study. The team need 1,000 men who have prostate cancer to join. They also need 1,000 men who don’t have prostate cancer but have a close relative who does have prostate cancer.

If you would like to take part contact the research team. A member of the team will tell you more about the study and find out if you are able to take part.

Then if you can take part, you have a hospital appointment or a telephone appointment with a member of the team.

At this appointment you give a blood sample or spit (saliva) sample. If you have a telephone appointment the team will arrange to collect these samples by post.

The team use these samples to look for changes (mutations) in the genes of your DNA Open a glossary item .

For men who have prostate cancer the team will ask your permission to contact the team that are treating you. This is to find out about your prostate cancer and what treatment you are having or had.

The team also want to find out more about what you think and how you feel about the genetic testing process. They also want to learn more about the information and support needs of men.

They may ask you to complete a questionnaire:

before your first appointment with the team
after you get the results of the genetic testing
then 6 months later and 12 months later

You don’t have to agree to do the questionnaires. You can still take part in the study.

They will also ask a small number of men to take part in an interview. This is to find out more about your experience of taking part in this study.

You don’t have to agree to take part. You can still take part in the study.

Hospital visits

You have 2 visits as part of the study. The first is to find out more about the study and if you want to take part. If you do take part you have another visit to the hospital to find out the results of the genetic testing.

You have them as a hospital appointment or a telephone appointment if you are unable to go to the hospital.

Side effects

Finding out the results of your genetic tests might cause some concern or worry. Talk to the study team if this is the case. They can refer you to a specialist who you can talk to if would like to.