UBC discovers hereditary CDK12 prostate cancer

Researchers at the University of British Columbia have identified a new hereditary form of prostate cancer linked to inherited mutations in the CDK12 gene. The study, published in Cancer Discovery, analyzed genetic data from over 4,500 men with aggressive prostate cancer and found five unrelated individuals carrying germline CDK12 mutations, all of whom developed metastatic disease between ages 44 and 62. The discovery challenges previous assumptions that harmful CDK12 mutations only occur spontaneously in tumors. The researchers propose adding CDK12 to standard genetic testing panels for hereditary prostate cancer, as existing clinical technology can already detect these mutations. The study also suggests a possible link to ovarian cancer, as several patients had family histories of ovarian cancer and an additional ovarian cancer patient carried the mutation. The international collaboration involved UBC, Canada — BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, University of Washington, and institutions in Australia, the Netherlands, Spain, and Belgium. Funding was provided by the Prostate Cancer UK, Terry Fox Research Institute, American Cancer Society, Canada — Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Michael Smith Health Research BC, U.S. United States — National Institutes of Health, BC Cancer Agency, and others.