Using Precision Medicine to Refine Prostate Cancer Screening and Treatment

In his article on The Active Surveillor, medical journalist Howard Wolinsky interviews Dr. Jason Hafron, chief medical officer and director of clinical research at the Michigan Institute of Urology, to discuss shifts in how prostate cancer is screened for and managed.

The goal is to use precision medicine to spare low-risk patients from the anxiety and side effects of treatment, while aggressively targeting those with life-threatening disease.

Key takeaways from the article include:

• Refining Screening: The goal is to move away from over-diagnosing low-risk cancers that don’t require intervention. Instead, the focus is on identifying “clinically significant” prostate cancer early enough to treat it effectively.
• The Role of Technology: Dr. Hafron discusses how tools such as MRI, biomarkers (blood and urine tests), and genomics are used as “gatekeepers” to determine who actually needs a biopsy, thereby reducing unnecessary procedures for men with low-risk profiles.
• Active Surveillance as a Default: For men who are diagnosed with low-risk (Gleason 6) cancer, active surveillance is now widely accepted as the standard of care rather than an alternative. The aim is to ensure that only those whose cancer shows signs of progression ever move to surgery or radiation.

Read the complete interview here.