The platelet count, C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration, and chromogranin A concentration—a protein found in neuroendocrine cells—are three important, easily obtainable indicators of failure of combined hormonal therapy in prostate cancer, measurable through a simple blood draw.
The results of a study conducted by researchers from the Laboratory of Molecular Pathology at the Institute of Clinical and Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Palacký University, which is part of the National Institute for Cancer Research (NICR), the Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, and the Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Olomouc, have been published in the international peer-reviewed journal Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.
"Androgen-deprivation therapy has long been the first-line treatment for hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. Recently, a combination of androgen deprivation therapy and androgen receptor signaling inhibitors has been recommended for patients with metastases. However, in order for oncologists to monitor disease progression and assess the effectiveness of treatment—or whether it needs to be adjusted—they require biomarkers that can be regularly tested in patients," explains Assoc. Prof. Jan Bouchal, Ph.D., head of the research group at the Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, IMTM and NICR.
In the published study, which focused on patients with hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, analysis of 16 different biomarkers identified three that independently predict failure of combined androgen deprivation therapy with androgen receptor signaling inhibitors. These are platelet count, CRP concentration, and chromogranin A concentration. "Monitoring these biomarkers can provide critical information about disease progression and potential therapy failure, enabling earlier and more personalized therapeutic interventions," says Assoc. Prof. Hana Študentová, M.D., Ph.D., from the Department of Oncology at the Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Olomouc. She adds: "The identification of platelet count as an independent negative predictive factor in hormone-sensitive prostate cancer treated with combination therapy is particularly important in light of recent research that highlights the crucial role of platelets in supporting the growth of existing metastases. This research showed that platelets play a dual role in metastasis progression—they assist in the early phases of metastasis by binding to tumor cells, and they also promote the survival and growth of already established metastatic tumors by suppressing immune responses."
Assoc. Prof. Bouchal adds that testing for platelet count, CRP, and chromogranin A is already established in many laboratories across the country and can therefore be quickly and easily applied in the care of patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. Following further validation in a larger patient cohort, the biomarkers identified in this analysis could aid in treatment decision-making for patients with aggressive forms of metastatic prostate cancer.
The original article in Czech – www.tribune.cz/archiv/nove-krevni-biomarkery-pro-lepsi-rozhodovani-o-lecbe-metastatickych-nadoru-prostaty/#
Source: Chrenková E, Spurná R, Holá K, et al. Platelets, Chromogranin A, and C‑Reactive Protein Predict Therapy Failure of Metastatic Hormone‑Sensitive Prostate Cancer while miR‑375 Outperforms Prostate‑Specific Antigen in Stratifying Castration‑Resistant Prostate Cancer. J Mol Diagn. 2025;27(6):446–456. doi: 10.1016/j.jmoldx.2025.02.006.
