Disease Modeling

We used a genomic test of prostate cancer risk to stratify men into three classes of prostate cancer risk. Then, we used cost-effectiveness analysis to determine when risk-stratified screening policies were preferable to universal policies. We also provided guidance to developers of future prostate cancer risk biomarkers on how to optimize the stratification of risk.

This study shows that certain urinary biomarkers have greater economic value as reflex tests than MRI or all-or-nothing rules for guiding biopsy decisions in among men with intermediate prostate cancer antigen levels (4-10 ng/mL), and the results are insensitive to ongoing changes in prostate cancer treatment. Our findings support using urine-based reflex tests to guide biopsy decisions.