Test predicts which patients with prostate cancer are most likely to develop long-term side effects from radiation therapy

UCLA Fielding School of Public Health's Dr. Donatello Telesca, professor in the Department of Biostatistics, co-authored research that predicts which patients with prostate cancer are most likely to develop long-term side effects from radiation therapy.

The study, published in Clinical Cancer Research, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, researchers validated testing's ability to predict long-term urinary side effects, which can include urinary tract pain, blood in the urine, increased frequency of urination, and urinary urgency or leakage.

The team, which also includes researchers from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, found that different genetic factors are linked to different types of side effects, reinforcing the need for more personalized approaches to treatment.

“We’ve always known that some men develop these life-altering side effects that they will carry through the remainder of their lives, but until now, we didn’t have a way to predict who,” said Dr. Joanne Weidhaas, professor of radiation oncology and vice chair of molecular and cellular oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and senior author of the study. “What makes (this testing) different is that it looks at a patient’s unique genetics to estimate their personal risk of developing side effects from radiation. This helps doctors and patients choose the safest treatment and avoid unnecessary toxicities.”

For more information, read the UCLA Health release.