Our Prostate Testing Program incorporates an extensive menu of special stains and molecular testing to enhance traditional histology outcomes.

PTEN is a tumor suppressor gene. When cancer (or the potential for cancer) is present, the PTEN gene acts as a suppressor of the cancer. If PTEN is positive (a “hemizygous deletion” or “homozygous deletion”), this means the PTEN gene is no longer present, representing the potential for aggressive cancer in your patient.

Patients with atypical/HGPIN diagnosis and those with biopsy Gleason Scores 3+3 and 3+4, PTEN/TMPRSS2:ERG benefit from enhanced molecular testing that can predict prostate cancer aggressiveness.  This additional information allows providers to make better, more informative treatment decisions.

The Erythroblast transformation specific Related Gene or ERG has been linked with prostate cancer through another gene identified as TMPRSS2. An ERG deletion, increased copy number and/ or rearrangement on FISH could furthermore correlate with cancer prognosis and reoccurrence.

The ERG FISH test Sensitivity and Specificity for detection of the TMPRSS2:ERG fusion:

• Sensitivity: 94.5%
• Specificity: 100%