Key Insights

• Understand how this test reveals your tumor’s current biological behavior — the pace of cancer cell growth that signals how aggressive the disease may be.
• Identify a genomic risk signal (the cell cycle progression score from a 46‑gene panel) that helps explain why two cancers with the same PSA and Gleason score can behave very differently.
• Learn how factors like tumor grade, PSA, and stage combine with your genomic result to shape an individualized risk estimate for progression or metastasis.
• Use insights to guide choices with your clinician — from confidence in active surveillance to intensifying treatment when biology looks more aggressive.
• Track how your risk landscape changes over time by pairing genomic results with trends in PSA, imaging, and pathology.
• When appropriate, integrate this test with related panels (e.g., inflammation or metabolic markers) and standard prognostic tools for a fuller, more precise view of risk.

What Is a Prolaris Test?

The prolaris test is a genomic assay that analyzes activity in a 46‑gene cell cycle panel from your prostate tumor tissue. By measuring expression of genes that drive cell division — alongside housekeeping genes for calibration — it generates a cell cycle progression (CCP) score that reflects how quickly cancer cells are likely growing. The sample is typically formalin‑fixed, paraffin‑embedded (FFPE) tissue from a prostate biopsy or surgery. Results are produced using quantitative reverse‑transcription PCR (RT‑qPCR), a highly sensitive method for measuring gene expression in preserved tissue, and are compared against reference cohorts to translate the biology into a standardized risk metric.

Why it matters: cancer aggressiveness isn’t just what we see under the microscope; it’s what the tumor is doing at a molecular level. The prolaris test captures that tumor biology and links it to outcomes, informing decisions about active surveillance versus definitive treatment, and, after surgery, whether to add radiation or systemic therapy. In plain terms, it complements PSA, Gleason grade, and stage by quantifying the engine that drives tumor growth. This gives you and your care team objective data about near‑term behavior and longer‑term risk — a clearer view of where you stand today and how to plan forward.

Why Is It Important to Test Your Cell Cycle Progression Signature?

Cell cycle genes are the control panel for cell division. When they’re turned up in prostate cancer, tumors tend to grow and spread faster. Testing your cell cycle progression signature can uncover hidden aggressiveness that routine measures may miss, or, conversely, confirm that a tumor’s growth program is low and compatible with watchful monitoring. This is especially relevant at diagnosis (to choose between active surveillance and treatment), in favorable‑intermediate risk disease (to refine how “favorable” it truly is), and after prostatectomy (to judge the benefit of adding radiation when pathology findings are borderline). The result anchors risk to tumor biology — not just to how the biopsy looked on a few thin slices.

Zooming out, this kind of genomic testing supports prevention and outcomes by aligning treatment intensity with actual risk. It helps detect early warning signs of aggressive behavior, measure progress across time, and see how interventions are affecting core pathways of tumor growth. The goal isn’t to “pass” a test; it’s to reveal the tumor’s operating system and use that information to make smarter, more confident decisions that protect function and longevity.

What Insights Will I Get From a Prolaris Test?

Your report displays a CCP‑based score and, in many cases, an integrated risk estimate that combines the genomic result with clinical factors such as PSA, Gleason grade group, stage, and age. Scores are interpreted relative to validated reference cohorts, so you’ll see where you fall compared with typical outcomes. “Normal” isn’t the target here — instead, lower scores suggest more indolent biology, while higher scores signal a greater likelihood of progression or metastasis. Context matters: a modestly elevated score may carry different implications in a very low‑risk biopsy versus a higher‑grade tumor.

Lower or “favorable” genomic values generally indicate slower cell division and a lower risk trajectory, often aligning with strong candidates for active surveillance when other features fit. Higher values suggest faster cycling and a greater chance of adverse pathology or spread over time, which can motivate a shift toward definitive local therapy or combined approaches in appropriate cases. These results don’t diagnose cancer — they refine risk within a confirmed diagnosis and guide depth of evaluation with your care team.

The real power shows up in patterns. When tracked alongside PSA trends, imaging, and pathology over time, the genomic signal helps your team see where risk is heading, not just where it has been. That supports preventive care, earlier detection of meaningful change, and a tailored plan that respects both cure potential and quality of life.