This Test Really Changed My Life

Richard Tyus learned about his elevated PSA on a routine doctor’s visit and was referred to a Urologist, Dr. Brian Richardson, for prostate cancer evaluations. Richard’s biopsy results came back positive. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer at age 59. This came as a shock to Richard because he had no history of cancer in his family. After hearing he had cancer, he decided to get a second opinion. The second doctor had recommended radiation and hormone therapy as two forms of treatment. 

“There are just times now when you hear different things from different people, and you want some clarity. Any decision you make in life is going to be based on the amount of information you have. If your information is no good, your decisions are no good. ” said Richard after receiving the second opinion.

Richard took matters into his own hands and started researching prostate cancer and prostate cancer treatments and found he qualified for Prolaris_® testing because he hadn’t received any treatment. He provided his contact information on the Prolaris.com website and got in contact with Myriad Customer Service. “I can say it was one of the most important phone calls I’ve ever got in my life.” Richard stated after he got off the phone with the Myriad representative who helped him get the Prolaris test ordered by his doctor. 

Dr. Richardson ordered the Prolaris test for Richard and said, “the test helps answer what I think is the most important question when a patient is diagnosed with prostate cancer, and that is the choice between active surveillance versus active treatment.”

Based on Richard’s Prolaris results, he was a candidate for a single form of treatment. “The Prolaris test results gave me all the confidence that I needed…this test really changed my life.” 

Richard hopes his story will help men facing similar experiences and urges them to consider genetic testing.

Learn more about Prolaris by requesting a patient guide here

Written by Myriad Genetics. Myriad discovers and commercializes genetic tests that determine the risk of developing disease, assess the risk of disease progression, and guide treatment decisions across medical specialties where critical genetic insights can significantly improve patient care and lower healthcare costs.

Since 1991, Myriad has invested heavily in educating patients and healthcare professionals about the role genes play in disease. Millions of patients have already benefited from Myriad’s tests that empower individuals with vital genetic insights and enable healthcare providers to better detect, treat and prevent disease.