First predictive evidence in intermediate-risk prostate cancer supporting use of the Decipher test to guide short-term hormone therapy decisions to be presented at ASTRO 2026
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Sept. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Veracyte, Inc. (Nasdaq: VCYT), a leading cancer diagnostics company, announced that new findings from a retrospective ancillary analysis of the randomized phase III NRG/RTOG 0815 trial will be presented at the 2026 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting. The trial evaluated dose-escalated radiation with or without short-term androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in men with intermediate-risk prostate cancer. The analysis showed that the Decipher Prostate Genomic Classifier can predict which patients are more likely to benefit from adding short-term ADT to dose-escalated radiation, providing both Level 1B1 prognostic and predictive evidence.
In the study, patients with higher Decipher scores had substantially improved outcomes with the addition of short-term ADT to radiation, while patients with low Decipher scores derived minimal treatment benefit. These findings extend Decipher’s long-established role in assessing the risk of prostate cancer progression to informing treatment selection for patients with intermediate-risk disease. The results will be presented today at 3:55 p.m. ET in an oral session at the 2026 ASTRO Annual Meeting by Angela Jia, M.D., Ph.D., University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University.
“For men with intermediate-risk prostate cancer, the question is not simply whether hormone therapy works — it is who truly needs it,” said Angela Jia, M.D., Ph.D. “This analysis suggests tumor biology can distinguish patients who may achieve a substantial reduction in the risk of distant metastasis from those who may see little added benefit. That could help clinicians and patients make a more individualized decision about intensifying treatment.”
While ADT can reduce the risk of recurrence and distant spread, it can also have metabolic and quality-of-life effects. Because intermediate-risk disease is biologically diverse, clinical variables such as Gleason grade, PSA or clinical stage may not reveal which patients are most likely to benefit from adding the therapy.
Key study findings:
- Decipher predicted differential benefit from hormone therapy: The treatment-by-Decipher interaction for distant metastasis was statistically significant (p