The revised Decipher GRID report and difficult salvage-treatment decisions

Men who have had the Decipher test and are facing a difficult decision about if and when to begin salvage therapy may be interested to know that the company that owns the Decipher test, Veracyte, has expanded and redesigned their (seven page) GRID report (compared to the version of the report I received back in 2017).

The GRID report is a supplementary “Tumor RNA Expression Profile” that you can request along with (or anytime after) your Decipher RP test results. (There is no additional charge).

Unlike the Decipher test, which has been clinically validated, the GRID report is labeled RUO (Research Use Only). In other words, it’s not intended to be used as the basis for clinical decisions. However, I there is clearly some “wink, wink” going on: the report has quite of bit of information about your specific cancer that could be clinically relevant and it is aimed at the physicians ordering the Decipher test.

I only recently realized that the GRID report had been revamped after finding the 2024 video (23 min.) linked below. Although the video is aimed at MDs and goes into much detail, I think it can be of help for men like me, who have one or more risk factors and have reached the BCR threshold (biochemical recurrence) or--like me--have a PSA that is trending upward toward 0.2, when the salvage-treatment decision is complicated by PSA that is still too low for PSMA-PET imaging and there is no evidence of clinical recurrence.

I received my updated GRID report today and, fortunately, the six “tumor biology signatures” of my cancer predict favorable outcomes (according to the cited treatment studies) for ADT, radiation (incl. SRT), and immunotherapy. I forwarded the report on to my R.O. and my uro. (Four of the six clinical studies cited were published after the original GRID report I got in 2017).

Decipher Prostate GRID Overview (RUO) (2024)

Even though the GRID report is for “Research Use Only,” if you are facing a difficult treatment decision for BCR or an increasing PSA below but approaching 0.2, the report may provide you with material for discussion with your medical team.

JayMot said...
I did not watch the entire video. Are you saying that anyone can get an updated GRID report? I had my Decipher and GRID reports done in 2016. How did you go about ordering (a free) updated GRID report? Thanks. J

Hi Jay,

Let me get back to you on this after I make an inquiry.

Thanks,

Djin

Mumbo said...
When I was chasing my Grid results down in 2019, Decipher said they would send to urologist who ordered it. Hope they don’t keep that attitude years later.

I personally requested a copy of my original Decipher report (this report doesn't change but I misplaced my original) and a copy of my updated GRID report. The two reports came today as encrypted pdf's to my email, not to the uro that ordered the original. There was no charge. I was told this evening, in response to an email I sent earlier, that the only caveat is:

"We can only update a GRID report if the GRID was issued on the initial test, or if the ordering provider requests it."

I interpret this to mean you can have the updated GRID sent to you if a GRID was done in the past; otherwise, a provider has to request a first-time GRID report and it will be sent to them.

Call the Decipher customer number, 888.792.1601, and tell them what you'd like.

Djin