Transcriptomic predictors of prostate cancer recurrence following focal cryotherapy: a pooled analysis of phase II trial and prospective cohort data

Objective: Focal therapy (FT) is a potential treatment option for limited-volume clinically-significant prostate cancer (csPCa). However, despite rigorous selection, approximately 20% of patients experience early failure. We investigated the association of transcriptomic profiles and csPCa recurrence post-FT. Methods: 52 men from a phase II trial (NCT04138914) and a prospective observational cohort underwent focal cryotherapy for csPCa. Patients underwent multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging, and targeted and systematic-saturation biopsy before- and 1-year post-FT. Recurrence was defined as grade-group (GG) ≥2 cancer in the 1-year post-FT biopsy. Pre-treatment lesions were profiled using the Decipher genomic classifier (GC). GC scores, luminal-basal status, tumor microenvironment and cancer hallmark pathways were correlated with csPCa recurrence. Results: Median PSA was 7.0 ng/dl; 37/52 (71.1%) men had GG2, 12/52 (23.1%) GG3, and 3/52 (5.8%) GG4 cancer. Recurrence was observed in 9/52 (17.3%) men. Median GC score was higher in patients with recurrence (0.60 vs 0.38, P = 0.014) and remained significantly associated with recurrence after adjustment for GG (adjusted OR: 1.37 [95% CI: 1.01–1.93], P = 0.04). Luminal-proliferative tumors based on the prostate cancer-specific subtyping classifier (PSC) had more csPCa recurrence compared with luminal-differentiated (LD) and basal subtypes (30.4% vs 0% [LD] vs 15.4% [basal-neuroendocrine] and 14.3% [basal-immune], P = 0.027). Higher expression of DNA repair pathway was also associated with recurrence (OR: 2.12 [95% CI: 1.09–4.57], P = 0.025). Conclusions: Higher GC score is associated with risk of csPCa recurrence post-FT. Patients with GC low-risk and PSC-LD csPCa may represent the ideal subgroup for FT. Prospective validation in a large cohort is warranted.