BALTIMORE, Nov. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Urology Care Foundation (UCF), the official foundation of the American Urological Association (AUA), and the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) today announced the launch of a new educational guide on genetic tests to guide treatment decisions for patients with advanced prostate cancer.

This guide comes at an important time—more patients are being diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer each year, and the survival rate for this stage is only 38% over five years. In fact, nearly 36,000 men in the U.S. are expected to die from prostate cancer this year. The guide, called Somatic and Germline Genetic Testing for Patients with Advanced Prostate Cancer: What You Should Know, explains that two types of genetic tests that can help patients and their doctors choose the best treatment.

“Advanced prostate cancer isn’t the same for everyone. A treatment that helps one person might not help someone else,” said Dr. Harris M. Nagler, president of the Urology Care Foundation. “These tests give patients and doctors important information to help choose the best treatment at the right time. We’re proud to work with the Prostate Cancer Foundation to help more people learn about these options.”

Why These Tests Matter

• Somatic (tumor) testing looks at changes in the genes and proteins of the tumor itself.
• Germline (hereditary) testing checks for inherited gene changes that can run in families.

Together, these tests can:

• Show which treatments are most likely to work
• Reveal eligibility for clinical trials of new therapies
• Identify if patients and their families may be at higher risk for certain cancers, so they can take preventive steps that help protect everyone’s health

“Every patient with advanced prostate cancer should feel empowered to ask their doctor about somatic and germline genetic testing,” said Phillip J. Koo, MD, Chief Medical Officer of the Prostate Cancer Foundation. “These tests are now an essential part of advanced prostate cancer care and can improve outcomes.”

What the Guide Offers

The free online guide covers:

• The basics of DNA, genes, and gene alterations
• How both tests work, and why they’re important
• How to understand the test results
• Questions to ask your doctor
• Costs and insurance coverage
• Links to trusted resources and additional support

Whether you're a patient, caregiver, clinician or simply looking to learn more, this guide is free to download at https://www.urologyhealth.org/PCF-Biomarker/. You can read it online or save it as a PDF to reference anytime.

This guide was made possible by support from AstraZeneca.

About the Urology Care Foundation: The Urology Care Foundation is the world's leading nonprofit urological health foundation, and the official foundation of the American Urological Association. Collaborating with physicians, researchers, patients and the public through philanthropic efforts, the Foundation supports the improvement of urological care globally by funding research, clinical education, patient education and humanitarian programs. To learn more about the Urology Care Foundation and its programs visit: www.urologyhealth.org.

About the Prostate Cancer Foundation: The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) is the world’s leading philanthropic organization dedicated to funding life-saving prostate cancer research. Founded in 1993 by Mike Milken, PCF has been responsible for raising more than $1 billion to support cutting-edge research through more than 2,250 research projects at 245 leading cancer centers, with a global footprint spanning 28 countries. Since PCF’s inception, and through its efforts, patients around the world are living longer, suffering fewer complications, and enjoying better quality of life. PCF is committed to the mission of ending death and suffering from the disease. Learn more at pcf.org.

Corey Del Bianco
Urology Care Foundation
443-689-4033
cdelbianco@auanet.org