Prostate cancer (PC) is the most prevalent cancer among men in North America, with a significant challenge in advancing treatments for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and treatment-induced neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC). While androgen-deprivation therapy and next-generation androgen receptor antagonists like enzalutamide have improved survival, resistance and progression to NEPC remain signficant hurdles. NEPC patients, who often face limited treatment options and poor survival rates, urgently need methods for early detection and more effective therapies. By creating a platform for biomarker discovery, cell-free RNA (cfRNA) from blood samples will be analyzed to identify and characterize circulating tumour RNA (ctRNA) associated with NEPC. 

The development of ctRNA-based detection methods will significantly enhance early identification of neuroendocrine prostate cancer, potentially leading to more timely and targeted treatment interventions. This approach can improve patient outcomes by enabling earlier and more precise management of treatment-resistant prostate cancer.