Dynamics of the cell-free DNA methylome of metastatic prostate cancer during androgen-targeting treatment.

Aim:We examined methylation changes in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) during treatment.Patients & methods:Genome-wide methylation analysis of sequentially collected cfDNA samples derived from mCRPC patients undergoing androgen-targeting therapy was performed.Results:Alterations in methylation states of genes previously implicated in prostate cancer progression were observed and patients that maintained methylation changes throughout therapy tended to have a longer time to clinical progression. Importantly, we also report that markers associated with a highly aggressive form of the disease, neuroendocrine-CRPC, were associated with a faster time to clinical progression.Conclusion:Our findings highlight the potential of monitoring the cfDNA methylome during therapy in mCRPC, which may serve as predictive markers of response to androgen-targeting agents.