University College London researchers presented findings at ESMO Congress 2026 showing that Veracyte's Decipher genomic test can predict which high-risk prostate cancer patients benefit most from abiraterone hormone therapy. Analyzing 22 genes in biopsy tissue, the test generates a score where each 0.1 increase raises metastasis risk by 49%. The strategy enables doctors to target intensive treatment while sparing low-risk men unnecessary side effects.
STAMPEDE trial findings on Decipher and abiraterone
- ▪University College London researchers presented STAMPEDE clinical trial data analyzing Decipher test scores from 401 men with non-metastatic prostate cancer at ESMO Congress 2026.
- ▪University College London researchers corroborated STAMPEDE trial findings by analyzing real-world Decipher test data from a cohort of 27,607 prostate cancer patients.
- ▪STAMPEDE trial results demonstrated that the Decipher test identifies which node-negative prostate cancer patients gain significant metastasis-prevention benefits from adding abiraterone.
Decipher study findings
- ▪Dr. Sarah Howlett cautioned that further validation in additional datasets is required before clinicians routinely use the Decipher test for treatment decisions.
- ▪A University College London study found that every 0.1 increase in Decipher score correlates with a 49% higher risk of distant prostate cancer metastasis and 38% higher risk of prostate cancer mortality.
Clinical benefits of personalized Decipher testing
- ▪Study lead author Dr. Sarah Howlett stated that genomic testing helps personalize care by prioritizing high-risk patients for intensive therapy while sparing low-risk patients.
- ▪Veracyte medical director Elai Davicioni stated that Decipher test evidence guides physicians on whether adding abiraterone provides meaningful benefit for high-risk patients.
- ▪Identifying patients with low Decipher risk scores enables clinicians to avoid unnecessary abiraterone treatment and protect patients from redundant therapeutic side effects.
Treatment side effects
- ▪Prostate cancer patients receiving abiraterone hormone therapy can experience adverse side effects including severe fatigue, liver damage, and urinary tract infections.
- ▪Unnecessarily aggressive treatment of prostate cancer patients increases therapeutic side effects and reduces patient quality of life.
Decipher genomic test functionality
- ▪The Decipher test uses existing biopsy or surgical tissue to calculate a risk score between zero and one, requiring no additional procedures for patients.
- ▪The Decipher genomic test, developed by Veracyte, analyzes the activity of 22 genes in prostate tumor tissue to evaluate cancer aggressiveness and likelihood of spreading.
Abiraterone treatment and NHS expansion
- ▪Abiraterone is a hormone therapy that suppresses testosterone production to prevent the hormone from fuelling prostate cancer cell growth.
- ▪NHS England expanded access to abiraterone in January 2026 for men with high-risk prostate cancer that had not yet spread to distant organs.
- ▪Adding abiraterone to standard androgen deprivation therapy for men with high-risk localized prostate cancer halves the risk of death from the disease.
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