Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men, with an estimated 217,730 cases diagnosed in 2010. Following lung cancer, it is the second most common cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States resulting in 32,050 deaths in 2010. Despite its prevalence, prostate cancer has little to no early symptoms and is typically diagnosed by a prostate gland biopsy following abnormal results during regular screening by digital rectal examinations (DRE) and testing serum levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA). Although the efficacy of testing remains unclear, PSA is the only currently available marker for prostate cancer and the recommendation for use of PSA for early screening remains controversial while both DRE and PSA methods may not detect all prostate tumors, including those that are highly aggressive. These issues in current screening methodologies highlight the need for new biomarkers to accurately detect prostate cancer.
As part of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) and University in collaboration with Genitourinary (GU) Oncology expert Dr. Ian Thompson from the Department of Urology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, the McDevitt Lab at Rice University is currently evaluating strategies to utilize the Lab-on-a-chip based sensor for effective screening of prostate cancer. These strategies include the creation of a multi-marker panel prostate cancer bio-nano-chip to function as in vitro diagnostic device (IVD) intended to simultaneously quantitate the levels of a panel of prostate cancer to yield a multi-marker signature. This device is compatible with the use a finger-stick blood sample obtained from apparently healthy men (typically 50 years and above) and would be available as a point-of-care test with immediate results for clinicians. This screening will be used in conjunction with other known risk factors for prostate cancer, such as age, race, and the presence of a family history of prostate cancer to help clinicians determine which patients require urologic consultation and prostate biopsy. The development of a minimally invasive sample collection approach combined with a highly-sensitive integrated approach that uses significantly smaller reagent and sample volumes than conventional methods, on a unique portable instrument platform that provides results in minutes vs. hours or days, has the potential to impact significantly patient care and clinical practice. An early detection strategy is more effective in improving treatment options and outcomes, and reducing overall healthcare costs than the reaction to symptoms of advanced disease.