Kara N. Maxwell, MD, PhD, a professor in the Department of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, recently shared key findings from a real-world study on germline mutation rates in patients with metastatic prostate cancer. The study revealed that the prevalence of DNA repair pathogenic germline variants in these patients was lower than previously reported.
As more patients with metastatic prostate cancer present to healthcare providers, particularly in the oligometastatic setting, radiation oncologists and urologists are encountering more cases. Maxwell stresses that healthcare providers managing these patients should proactively discuss genetic testing options with their patients. Understanding genetic alterations can inform future treatment options and have broader implications for family health decisions and screening practices.
Maxwell advocates for the implementation of genetic testing in clinical practice as a priority. She notes that this process can be efficient and provide valuable information for treatment planning and assessing familial risk. As director of the Men & BRCA Program at the Basser Center for BRCA at the University of Pennsylvania, she is optimistic about how this research can improve genetic testing rates and enhance knowledge of the disease in men with cancer.
