Men with Metastatic PCa Should Be Tested for Inherited Mutations

This is from a Memorial Sloan Kettering newsletter:

“Study Suggests Men with Metastatic Prostate Cancer Should Be Tested for Inherited Mutations. Inherited mutations in DNA-repair genes, such as the BRCA genes, can increase cancer risk. A new study shows that DNA-repair mutations are significantly more common in men with metastatic prostate cancer compared with men whose prostate cancer hasn’t spread. This suggests all men with advanced prostate cancer should be tested for inherited DNA-repair mutations to help select the most effective therapies and provide information on family risk.”

Link to the article: /www.mskcc.org/blog/study-suggests-men-metastatic-prostate-cancer-should-be-tested-inherited-mutations?utm_source=E-newsletter&utm_campaign=293af35b57-E_newsletter_MC_June+2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9dd3dba32c-293af35b57-295596061

Prat-
These mutations are very rare, even among men with metastases. There's no point in knowing about a faulty cancer repair gene in a man who has no cancer to repair.
- Allen

Allen, my thinking, and maybe it makes no sense, as i've said before, i'm no expert.....

Say a guy is G7 (3+4). Like me. I have been undetectable after 18 months, and my PSA tests have been spread out to 6 months. After the next PSA test, in January, if it comes back undetectable, they spread me out to 1 year.
But lets say i test positive for Braca. My mom died of Breast Cancer. In view of the quoted study, maybe it makes sense to keep a closer eye on me, and not go to 1 year testing (although, knowing me, I'll probably continue to test every 6 months anyway, but thats another "issue"

Prat-

I understand your reaction, but the numbers don't bear it out. BRCA2 is a very low probability genetic mutation. You don't know your mother had BRCA2 mutation - most women with breast cancer do not. Then the probability that you also have the mutation is very low. Then there is only a probability that the mutation and your PC were related. It makes more sense to just watch your PSA on a rational schedule than to screen you. PSA is a great tool for this post-prostatectomy - really, all you need. This way, you will find progression early enough for SRT. There are many, many genetic mutations that have been implicated in PC. Many require multiple factors, genetic and epigenetic, to actually cause cancer. I'm sure everyone has some of them if we look hard enough. Can you imagine the public health nightmare if everyone did?

- Allen

Jack. Do lighten up. I was making a good natured joke, sorry if your sense of humor has left the room

On a more serious note, I'm sorry if you think it's a silly question. I'm not, after all, a "man of science". TA seems to think it was worth a serious response, sorry you don't. It was more of a hypothesis by the way, than a question.

But seriously, if you thought it was silly, you should act like an adult, and ignore it. I cannot figure out why you insist on offending almost everyone here. Even when not provoked.

That's about the biggest rise you'll get out of me on this thread, I'm done here, Just going to go off and remind myself that as great a place as this is, it's still an Internet forum and there will always be a few characters hanging around.

Post Edited (Pratoman) : 7/30/2016 7:52:50 PM (GMT-6)

TA, thanks for the kind words.
I've tried to use the ignore button, think I'll try again. It really is stupid of me to feel compelled to respond, especially when my original post was simply friendly humor.

We just saw a funny bumper sticker:

"My parents said I could be anything I want, so I decided to be an ***hole."

The shoe fits here.

You have made a good choice to IGNORE this one.

Mel