STUDY LINKS DECIPHER SCORES TO ABIRATERONE BENEFIT

Researchers led by University College London say a genomic test could help identify which men with high-risk prostate cancer may benefit from more intensive treatment. Their study examined Decipher scores for more than 6,000 men and found that higher scores consistently predicted worse outcomes. Among men whose cancer had not reached their lymph nodes, the scores also indicated who might benefit from the hormone therapy abiraterone to prevent further spread. The researchers plan to present the findings at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress 2026 in Madrid.

Decipher analyses cellular genetics in a small sample from an existing tissue biopsy. It produces a score for a tumour’s aggressiveness and likelihood of spreading. Earlier research led by University College London found that adding abiraterone to standard treatment halved mortality risks and slowed disease progression in high-risk cases. Abiraterone works by stopping testosterone from fuelling the cancer.

Dr Sarah Howlett of the UCL Cancer Institute said preventing cancer from spreading was critical for men with very high-risk disease. She said “men with high-risk disease but a low Decipher score have low rates of cancer spread and could potentially be spared more intensive treatment”. Men with high scores could receive priority for more intensive treatment, she said. Howlett said researchers observed the same pattern in a large real-world dataset and a randomised clinical trial.