Polygenic Risk Score (PRS)
Analysis of well-powered GWAS and next-generation sequencing (NGS) data has resulted in the identification of numerous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that contribute to overall prostate cancer risk. Although a single SNP itself has a modest predictive power for complex disease outcomes, accumulating various risk-associated SNPs into a Polygenic Risk Score (PRS) has shown to improve predictive significance while also providing valuable information for risk stratification16. Prostate cancer, like most cancers, is more likely to be a polygenic disease influenced by a combined effect of multiple genetic variations. To date, GWAS studies have identified 269 common germline genetic variants associated with prostate cancer susceptibility17 1819. The combined effect of SNPs is approximated to account for a quarter of the familial risk of prostate cancer. Therefore, it is increasingly desirable to combine genetic data into a PRS to help predict PCa risk and to stratify the probability of developing the disease into the high and low-risk groups20 21.