No known gene mutations

[Cynthgob]

After being tested there are no known gene mutations in my husband’s DNA. All mutations were checked that are known to attribute to prostate cancer. My question : is it a good thing or a bad thing? I know it’s good for my family but is it for my husband in that if you have a gene mutation doesn’t it make it easier to attack the specific cancer you have? Isn’t the new lymparza study targeting dna mutations? Just wondering? Thank you!!

[Cynthgob]

There’s a lot I don’t know about my husbands specific cancer. All I know is it’s spread to lymph nodes and most of skeletal. Not in organs.

[ctarleton]

Interesting question. Lynparza (olaparib) is what is called a PARP inhibitor. Sometimes in people with various cancers, and specific inherited mutations (e.g. BRCA-2), they try using it to see if they can get the more rapidly-growing cancer cells which may have damaged DNA to die off at a faster rate than normal cells. However, roughly 90% of men with prostate cancer don't have any of the few kinds of inherited mutations like this.

(Personally, I'd rather not have a mutation such as BRCA-2, or whatever, which allows sporadic DNA damage in my cells to go unrepaired at the same time that my body is already dealing with advanced prostate cancer and various other treatments.)

For anybody here who may actually have one of these inherited mutations, here's a link that provides an update on research and progress in the field. Table 2 provides information about several single agent PARP inhibitors clinical trials in progress.

"ASCO 2018: Optimal Integration of PARP Inhibitors for Prostate Cancer: Which Test, Which Patient, and Which Therapy?"

urotoday.com/conference-hig...

Charles

[Cynthgob in reply to ctarleton]

Thank u!

[Tall_Allen]

It's a good thing. Germline mutations in DNA-repair genes allow more aggressive cancers to proliferate. In a recent Phase 2 study, there was no difference in response in men who took a PARP inhibitor whether they had a DNA repair mutation or not.

[Kat95]

My husband has a somatic (non genetic) brca2 mutation - PARP inhibitors didn’t help. They’re marketed as the new big thing but did zilch for us.

[Cynthgob in reply to Kat95]

Thank u

[Drcrunch in reply to Kat95]

Did he have parp inhibitor by itself or combined with chemo. Which parp inhibitor?

[Kat95 in reply to Drcrunch]

Hi it was niraparib.