Lay summary
Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) has one of the highest prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates worldwide and much poorer outcomes in Māori communities. Current approaches for prostate cancer detection lack accuracy, leading to either late recognition of prostate cancer, or needless over-investigation or over-treatment. New, cost-effective methods of prostate cancer detection are urgently needed to improve clinical outcomes for NZ men. Epigenetic markers, particularly DNA methylation, are important drivers of prostate cancer, and have shown promise as potential biomarkers for cancer detection via a simple blood test. I will perform the first comprehensive epigenetic analysis of blood samples from NZ men undergoing prostate biopsy. We will use this data to develop and validate a targeted DNA methylation-based blood test for early and accurate prostate cancer detection, thereby leading to improved survival, fewer unnecessary procedures, and decreased costs of care for NZ patients.