Therapeutic targeting of the DNA damage response in prostate cancer
Catherine H. Marshall, Emmanuel S. Antonarakis
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The present article highlights the most common DNA repair gene mutations, using specific examples of individual genes or gene classes, and reviews the epidemiology and treatment implications for each one [with particular emphasis on poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibition and PD-1 blockade]. RECENT FINDINGS: Genetic and genomic testing have an increasingly important role in the oncology clinic. For patients with prostate cancer, germline genetic testing is now recommended for all men with high-risk and metastatic disease, and somatic multigene tumor testing is recommended for men with metastatic castration-resistant disease. The most common mutations that are present in men with advanced prostate cancer are in genes coordinating DNA repair and the DNA damage response. SUMMARY: Although much of what is discussed currently remains investigational, it is clear that genomically-targeted treatments will become increasingly important for patients with prostate cancer in the near future and beyond.