Tag: prostate cancer

Categories : CancerTags : Leave a comment

Drug Combo Cuts Risk of Death in Advanced Prostate Cancer by 40%

On By ModernMedia

Cedars-Sinai Led Clinical trial showed combo treatment reduced deaths in patients with an aggressive form of the disease

Credit: Darryl Leja National Human Genome Research Institute National Institutes Of Health

Men whose prostate cancer returns after surgery or radiation therapy may now benefit from a new drug combination shown in clinical trials to cut the risk of death by more than 40%.

The combination therapy, which adds the drug enzalutamide to commonly prescribed hormone therapy, reduced deaths in patients with recurrent prostate cancer after surgery or radiation for whom other treatments are no longer an option. The trial results were published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) with simultaneous presentation during the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress (ESMO) Oct. 19 in Berlin.

“After initial treatment, some patients see their prostate cancer come back in an aggressive way and are at risk for their disease to spread quickly,” said Stephen Freedland, MD, director of the Center for Integrated Research in Cancer and Lifestyle at Cedars-Sinai Cancer and co-principal investigator of the study. “Hormone therapy, which is what we’ve been offering patients for 30 years, has not improved survival and neither has anything else. That makes these findings a real game changer.”

The trial included more than 1000 patients from 244 sites in 17 countries. All the patients were diagnosed with what is known as high-risk biochemically recurrent prostate cancer. Following the patients’ surgery or radiation therapy, the levels of prostate specific antigen, or PSA, in their blood had risen rapidly. PSA is a protein used to detect prostate cancer, and a rapid rise in PSA levels after treatment indicates a patient’s cancer is likely to return and metastasise, often to the bones or spine.

“We know these patients are at high risk of developing metastatic disease and dying of their cancer unless we offer a meaningful treatment option,” said Freedland, professor of Urology and the Warschaw, Robertson, Law Families Chair in Prostate Cancer.

Patients were randomly selected to receive standard hormone therapy alone, enzalutamide alone, or a combination of the two. After eight years, the risk of death was 40.3% lower in the combination group than in the other two groups, Freedland said.

“This clinical trial, one of many that Cedars-Sinai Cancer has offered to its patients, is an example of the translational work being done by our physician-scientists,” said Robert Figlin, MD, interim director of Cedars-Sinai Cancer. “The result will be improved treatment and better outcomes for patients everywhere.”

Freedland noted that, based on previous results published by the team, enzalutamide is approved by the Food and Drug Administration and listed in National Comprehensive Cancer Network treatment guidelines. These latest results, he said, are likely to strengthen the network’s recommendation and solidify this drug combination as the standard of care for patients with high-risk biochemically recurrent prostate cancer.

“These important findings identify a treatment that prolongs survival in men with aggressive prostate cancer,” said Hyung Kim, MD, a urologic oncologist and chair of the Department of Urology at Cedars-Sinai.  “The latest analysis complements previous studies that found enzalutamide significantly improved survival in other prostate cancer settings, and will change how we take care of our patients.”

Source: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Categories : CancerTags : 1 Comment

Good Prognosis for Men with Prostate Cancer Treated According to Guidelines

On By ModernMedia
Credit: Darryl Leja National Human Genome Research Institute National Institutes Of Health

Most men who are treated for prostate cancer according to modern guidelines have good survival rates and the majority of these men will die of causes other than prostate cancer. This is revealed in a new study from Uppsala University published in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

“We were surprised by how much life expectancy affected the prognosis. This shows the importance of a thorough assessment of the general health of a man with newly diagnosed prostate cancer. The patient’s life expectancy has a substantial impact on the choice of appropriate treatment strategy,” says Marcus Westerberg, researcher at the Department of Surgical Sciences at Uppsala University, who led the study.

In prostate cancer, the disease progression often takes decades and the risk of dying from prostate cancer therefore depends on both the characteristics of the cancer and life expectancy based on the man’s age and other diseases at the time of diagnosis. Recommendations in guidelines and care programmes are therefore also based on both cancer characteristics and life expectancy. This means that the recommended initial treatment can range from active monitoring for low-risk cancer to combinations of local and systemic treatment for high-risk cancer.

High average age at disease onset

As the average age at diagnosis of prostate cancer is often high and the cancer often progresses very slowly, it is particularly important to know the long-term risk of death from prostate cancer in order to choose the best treatment for patients. Previously, not much has been known about this.

“We wanted to fill that knowledge gap, so we looked at outcomes up to 30 years after the men were diagnosed. In all cases, we had information about the characteristics of the cancer, treatment and the patient’s life expectancy based on age and comorbidity,” says Westerberg.

The researchers used data from the Prostate Cancer Database Sweden (PCBase), which contains information from the National Prostate Cancer Register (NPCR) and other health data registers. They focused on men who had received the recommended treatment for prostate cancer that had not spread in the body. Using statistical modelling, the researchers estimated the lifetime risk of dying from prostate cancer and other causes.

11 per cent risk of dying of cancer

For men with low-risk cancer and short life expectancy (less than 10 years), the risk of dying from prostate cancer was 11% and the risk of dying from other causes was 89% within 30 years of diagnosis.

For men with high-risk cancer (eg stage T3, PSA 30ng/mL and Gleason score 8) and long life expectancy (over 15 years), the risk of dying from prostate cancer was 34% and the risk of dying from other causes was 55% within 30 years of diagnosis.

“We hope that our results will be used to provide a realistic picture of the prognosis for men with prostate cancer. Our study shows that most men who receive the recommended treatment have a good prognosis,” Westerberg concludes.

Life expectancy was based on age and comorbidity. Examples of low-risk cancers are stage T1, PSA 5ng/mL and Gleason score 6. Examples of high-risk cancers are stage T3, PSA 30ng/mL and Gleason score 8.

Source: Uppsala University

Categories : Cancer Lab Tests and ImagingTags :

Student Designs a Prostate Checking Device to Replace the Digital Exam

On By ModernMedia
Pro check, designed by Loughborough University student Devon Tyso.

A Loughborough University student has developed a new medical device that could transform how prostate health is assessed and monitored.

Devon Tyso, a Product Design and Technology student, has designed ‘PRO check’, an innovative tool designed to replace the traditional digital rectal examination (DRE), which involves a doctor manually assessing the prostate with a finger.

According to Devon, the current approach is heavily reliant on a clinician’s subjective judgement and experience, and many see the method as ‘intrusive’.

“As one in seven men will get prostate cancer, it’s vital to detect abnormalities early and track changes over time,” said Devon, “The current examination method involves a lot of guesswork.

“PRO check provides objective, measurable data and allows prostate health to be visualised – enabling more accurate diagnosis, and improved long-term monitoring.

“Having a device conduct the exam may also feel less invasive, which may encourage more men to get checked, potentially catching issues earlier.”

How the device works

Designed for use by GPs during routine prostate assessments, PRO check allows doctors to evaluate the size and texture of the prostate — two key indicators of potential health issues — in a more objective and consistent way than the traditional digital rectal examination.

The device is a handheld probe, and it is covered with a condom before being inserted into the body. Once in position, the condom inflates to different pressures, pressing against the surface of the prostate, causing it to compress. A laser grid is projected onto the inner surface of the condom so the shape of the underlying prostate can be captured.

Stereoscopic cameras capture images of the laser grid, tracking where the gridlines intersect and how these intersections shift as pressure changes. This information is then fed into mathematical equations to create 3D images — or ‘topographical representations’ — that reveal the prostate’s shape and surface structure under different pressures.

Studying the prostate’s surface details could help clinicians identify areas requiring further investigation. Healthy prostate tissue is typically soft and compressible, so regions that appear stiff or resist pressure could indicate potential abnormalities and warrant further investigation.

The device can also produce data on prostate volume – one of the measurements used to calculate prostate-specific antigen (PSA) density, which helps assess prostate cancer risk. Devon says currently volume estimates are often based on a clinician’s best judgement.

In addition, data from PRO check can be used to generate a compressibility-versus-pressure graph – a novel data type not currently available in clinical practice. This graph shows how the prostate compresses at different pressure levels, which Devon hopes could offer new insights into prostate health and complement existing diagnostic tools.

PRO check is designed to integrate with artificial intelligence, enabling automatic extraction of video data, real-time calculations, and the generation of 3D images for live display on a laptop or tablet during the examination.

The idea is that all examination data from PRO check would be stored on the patient’s records, helping to build a personalised prostate health profile that can be tracked and monitored over time.

Inspiration

Devon’s inspiration for PRO check came from a mix of personal experience – after his grandfather’s prostate cancer diagnosis – and unexpected technical research.

“It really hit home how common prostate issues are after my family member was found to have an enlarged prostate,” said the 22-year-old from Cardiff, “I realised nearly everyone I spoke to about it knew someone affected by it.

“When I started looking into prostate examinations, I kept thinking ‘how can a doctor remember what your prostate felt like four months ago?’ and how horrible it must be just be told whether you’re fine or not without seeing any data or anything visual.”

While researching non-invasive ways to assess tissue structure inside the body, Devon came across a technique used by NASA to map the surface of asteroids — projecting laser grids onto them, capturing images with satellite-mounted cameras, and analysing the gridline intersections to reveal the contours of the surface.

“I saw that NASA were mapping surface heights on a massive scale, and I thought – if they can do that in space, why can’t we use similar principles to examine something here on Earth?” said Devon, “I’ve basically used the exact same technique and scaled it down for PRO check.”

Prototypes

Devon designed PRO check as part of his final year project – which was exhibited at the School of Design and Creative Arts’ 2025 Degree Show – and has prototyped several of its key components.

He has built and tested two working prototypes. The first demonstrates how a laser grid and camera can be setup to map the surface of the prostate.

Devon designed a custom rig that enabled him to capture images of a laser grid projected onto different silicone prostate models — representing a healthy gland, a small tumour, a large tumour, and an enlarged prostate — from an optimal angle using a smartphone camera.

First prototype of pro checkPRO check prototype one demonstrated how laser gridlines and a camera can be used to image the surface of the prostate.

The second prototype features electronics that inflate a small balloon at controlled pressures, regulated by a pressure-sensing chip. Devon consulted three healthcare professionals to measure the pressure typically applied during prostate exams and replicated those levels in his design.

Devon tested the prototype using the silicone prostate models but encased them in a sponge disc to simulate surrounding tissue.

Devon manually extracted data on the gridline intersections from the camera footage and applied mathematical equations to generate 3D images of the prostate surfaces and surrounding tissue under different pressures.

Next steps

Devon hopes to collaborate with medical professionals and product developers to turn PRO check into a fully realised medical device.

When speaking about his ultimate goal, Devon said: “I’d love to see this used in GP surgeries across the UK one day.

“With early detection being so critical, anything that helps men get checked sooner and more comfortably – and provides reliable data and visualisations – has huge potential. I really believe this could make a difference.”

Further information on PRO check can be found on the Degree Show website.

Source: Loughborough University

Categories : CancerTags :

Men’s Health Warning: Prostate Cancer Usually Has no Early Symptoms

On By ModernMedia

More precise treatment options with robotic technology

Friday, 20 June 2025: Prostate cancer is a major risk to men’s health, with South African men facing a one in eight chance of developing this most common of male cancers.

Urologists Dr Hannes Brummer and Dr Johan Coetzee, who practise at Netcare Greenacres Hospital, are encouraging men to prioritise prostate cancer screening this Men’s Health Month. 

“Usually, men do not feel any symptoms until prostate cancer has progressed significantly, which is why they need to be proactive about booking their routine prostate cancer screenings,” explains Dr Coetzee. 

“With the advanced prostate specific antigen [PSA] screening blood test available from GPs these days, there is so much more opportunity for prostate cancer to be detected earlier when it is still at a highly treatable stage.”

“For men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer following a needle biopsy, the treatment options available have improved to such an extent that there is more hope than ever before. Even where surgery is needed, prostate cancer does not necessarily pose a significant disruption to your life,” Dr Brummer adds. 

“A prostate cancer diagnosis can be daunting. We have walked this path with so many men, and robotic assisted surgery offers some important advantages for the removal of cancerous tissue in the prostate gland, in particular the precision of this minimally invasive option.”

Over 1 000 robotic assisted procedures have been performed at Netcare Greenacres Hospital since the introduction of this technology in August 2017. 

At Netcare Greenacres Hospital, Dr Brummer and Dr Coetzee use the da Vinci X robotic assisted surgical system to operate through tiny punctures in the skin using slender instruments more dexterous than the human hand.

Dr Brummer and Dr Coetzee emphasise that the surgeon remains in control of the robotic system at all times. With magnified 3D imaging capabilities, including a large fixed-focus area at the highest resolution, the nerves, blood vessels and tumour are visible with great clarity for the intricate procedure. 

“This robotic system is especially useful for operating on the prostate, as we can more clearly distinguish the nerves controlling erectile function and urinary continence. In most cases, there is less need for blood transfusion and reduced risk of complications,” Dr Brummer explains. 

“Another of the advantages of this robotic technology for prostate tumours is that there is much less tissue damage in this sensitive area. Compared with traditional surgery, this means men usually experience much less downtime with less discomfort after the procedure. This translates into shorter hospital stays and faster recovery with robotic assisted prostatectomies overall.”

General manager of Netcare Greenacres Hospital, Reon van Rensburg, joined the urologists in reinforcing the importance of prostate cancer awareness. “Let’s talk to our brothers, fathers, sons and grandsons about health issues, and get to know your family risk for both prostate cancer and breast cancer.”

Van Rensburg thanked Dr Brummer and Dr Coetzee for their continued dedication to making the world-class minimally-invasive robotic assisted surgical option available for patients local to Gqeberha and from as far afield as Knysna, George and East London, inland regions of the Eastern Cape, and parts of the southern Free State, the Northern Cape and the north-eastern region of the Western Cape.

“This Men’s Health Month, let’s pledge to be decisive about booking those routine health checks. Making the time now and every year could help to save your life in future,” Dr Brummer and Dr Coetzee concluded. 

Categories : CancerTags :

Shorter, Higher-dose Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer Delivers Promising Results

On By ModernMedia
Photo by Jo McNamara

A new large-scale study co-led by UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center investigators provides the strongest evidence yet that a shorter, standard-dose course radiation treatment is just as effective as conventional radiotherapy for early-stage prostate cancer, without compromising the safety of patients.

The shorter approach, known as isodose moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy (MHFRT), delivers slightly higher doses of radiation per session, allowing the total treatment duration to be over four to five weeks instead of seven to eight weeks.

According to the study, patients who received this type of MHFRT had the same cancer control rates as those who received conventional radiotherapy. Additionally, the risk of long-term side effects affecting the bladder and intestines was no higher with MHFRT, confirming its safety. 

The findings were published in the Lancet Oncology.

“We believe these data strongly support that isodose MHFRT should become the preferred standard of care MHFRT regimen for prostate cancer,” said Dr Amar Kishan, executive vice chair of radiation oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and co-first author of the study. “More broadly, there appears to be little reason to consider conventional radiotherapy over MHFRT for the types of patients enrolled in these trials given these results.”

While MHFRT is now the most commonly used radiotherapy regimen for prostate cancer, concerns remain about whether delivering a higher daily dose increases the risk of urinary and bowel issues, such urinary incontinence, chronic diarrhoea and rectal bleeding.

MHFRT: isodose versus dose-escalated

To better understand whether there might be an increased risk of toxicity with the delivery of a higher dose per day of radiation, Kishan and the team of researchers examined data from more than 5800 patients across seven randomised clinical trials comparing standard therapy with two different MHFRT approaches: isodose MHFRT, which maintains the total radiation dose at a level similar to standard therapy, and dose-escalated MHFRT, which increases the total dose in hopes of enhancing tumour control.

The analysis found patients who received isodose MHFRT (60Gy in 20 fractions) had similar cancer control and side effects compared to those receiving conventional radiation therapy, with no significant difference in the five-year progression-free survival (77.0% for MHFRT vs 75.6% for conventional).

Patients who received higher dose-escalated MHFRT did not improve cancer control when compared to those receiving standard doses, with five-year progression-free survival rates being identical to conventional therapy (82.7% in both groups). Patient-reported outcomes also showed significantly higher gastrointestinal side effects (7.2% vs 4.9%), particularly bowel issues. 

While dose-escalated MHFRT was expected to improve outcomes, the data showed no additional benefit in cancer control and a higher risk of gastrointestinal side effects, noted Kishan. This underscores the advantage of isodose MHFRT, which provides the same effectiveness as conventional therapy without increasing toxicity.

“These findings reinforce isodose MHFRT as the standard of care, offering the same cancer control as conventional treatment but with fewer side effects than dose-escalated MHFRT,” said Kishan, who is also a researcher in the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. “Patients can safely opt for a shorter treatment schedule without compromising their outcomes, ensuring they receive effective care with fewer visits and minimal added risk. Less time in treatment can still mean the best possible results.”

Source: University of California – Los Angeles Health Sciences

Categories : CancerTags :

Prostate Cancer is Not a Death Knell, Study Shows

On By ModernMedia
Credit: Darryl Leja National Human Genome Research Institute National Institutes Of Health

Prostate cancer statistics can look scary: 34 250 U.S. deaths in 2024. 1.4 million new cases worldwide in 2022. Dr Bruce Montgomery, an oncologist at University of Washington, hopes that patients won’t see these numbers and just throw up their hands in fear or resignation.  

“Being diagnosed with prostate cancer is not a death knell,” said Montgomery, senior author of a literature and trial review that appeared in JAMA. Montgomery is the clinical director of genitourinary oncology at Fred Hutch Cancer Center and University of Washington Medical Center, and a professor of medicine and urology at the UW School of Medicine.  

He encourages patients to ask their primary-care doctor specific questions about this cancer too.  Montgomery also encourages his fellow doctors to bring up the question of prostate cancer screening with their patients. 

“Knowing whether there is prostate cancer and how risky it is can be the first step. Not every cancer needs to be treated,” he said. “Sometimes it’s safe to just watch and use active surveillance.”   

A 2024 study coauthored by UW Medicine urologist Dr Daniel Lin showed that active surveillance can be extremely safe: 0.1% of men who opted for surveillance died of prostate cancer after 10 years.  

“We need to realise that prostate cancer is not one disease,” Montgomery said. “As a provider, you need to personalise your approach to the patient you’re seeing and to the disease that they personally are dealing with.” 

For example, if a 50-year-old man develops prostate cancer that is only in the prostate, then more aggressive measures may need to be considered. However, if the disease, which can be slow-moving, develops in an 80-year-old patient, the discussion may be quite different. 

“I’ve seen men that age (80s) develop prostate cancer and they’ve opted for no therapy,” he said. “They know that treatment, such as radiation, might make them feel terrible … so they just say ‘no.’ 

You, as their physician, he noted, must respect that.  

“But if you’re 50 and have 25 to 30 years in which prostate cancer can become a bigger issue, even with the downsides, most patients should get therapy,” he said.  

For more advanced prostate cancer, the number of effective treatments developed has markedly increased, as has the survival rate of men with whose prostate cancer has spread to other parts of their bodies.  

 “Metastatic prostate cancer needs therapy and research over the past 10 to 20 years has improved and continues to improve survival substantially,” he said. “Knowing who needs treatment, which treatment to use and when is both an art and a science.” 

The article covered facts that men and their doctors should know, including: 

  • Approximately 1.5 million new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed annually worldwide. Approximately 75% of cases are first detected when the cancer is still localised to the prostate. This early detection was associated with a five-year survival rate of nearly 100%.   
  • Management includes active surveillance, prostatectomy surgical removal of the prostate, or radiation therapy, depending on risk of progression. 
  • Approximately 10% of cases are diagnosed after the cancer has spread. This stage of prostate cancer   has a five-year survival rate of 37%.   
  • The most common prostate cancer is adenocarcinoma, a type that starts in gland cells, and the median age at diagnosis is 67 years.  
  • More than 50% of prostate cancer risk is attributable to genetic factors and older age.  

Prostate cancer came to public attention, both nationally and internationally last year, when famed local travel writer, Rick Steves, announced he had developed prostate cancer. He proclaimed last month via his X account, formerly Twitter, that after radiation and surgery at UW Medicine and Fred Hutch, he was cancer free.  

Source: University of Washington School of Medicine/UW Medicine

Categories : CancerTags :

Link between Early and Long-term Side Effects from Prostate Cancer Radiotherapy

On By ModernMedia
Credit: Darryl Leja National Human Genome Research Institute National Institutes Of Health

Men undergoing radiation therapy for prostate cancer who experience side effects early in treatment may face a higher risk of developing more serious long-term urinary and bowel health issues, according to a new study led by investigators from the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The study found that patients who experienced moderate acute urinary side effects in the first three months after radiation were nearly twice as likely to develop late urinary complications years later compared to those without early symptoms. Similarly, patients with early bowel side effects had nearly double the risk of chronic bowel issues.

The findings, published in The Lancet Oncology, highlight the importance of developing strategies to better manage acute toxicities to help improve long-term outcomes and quality of life for patients.

“Men with prostate cancer are living longer than ever, and our goal is to reduce the risk of late toxicities, such as difficulty urinating or rectal bleeding, that can impact a patient’s quality of life for years,” said Dr Amar Kishan, executive vice chair of radiation oncology and senior author of the study. “This study highlights innovations we’re developing, such as using smaller treatment margins in prostate radiation to minimize early side effects, that can lead to lasting benefits by also reducing the risk of long-term complications for patients.”

Radiation therapy is often a key treatment for localised prostate cancer, often involving higher doses to better control the disease. While this approach effectively controls cancer, it can also harm nearby healthy tissues, causing acute and late-term side effects.

Acute toxicity refers to side effects that occur during treatment or within the first three months after it ends, and they are typically temporary. Common urinary side effects include increased frequency of urination, difficulty urinating and discomfort during urination. Bowel-related side effects may include softer stools or diarrhea, as well as rectal discomfort during bowel movements.

Late toxicity, on the other hand, can appear months or even years later and can last for years. Late urinary toxicities include narrowing of the urethra and having blood in the urine. Late bowel toxicities include having blood in the stool or having an ulcer in the wall of the rectum. These issues often can have a bigger impact on a person’s quality of life compared to acute side effects.

While both acute and late toxicities are caused by radiation’s effect on healthy tissues, the connection between the two hasn’t been well-studied, particularly using large-scale data. 

To better understand this relationship, the researchers analysed data from over 6500 patients from six randomised phase 3 clinical trials that shared detailed, individual-level data on short-term and long-term side effects affecting the urinary and bowel systems.

The researchers found patients with moderate or worse early side effects were more likely to experience severe late effects, even years after treatment. Men with early urinary or bowel issues were also more likely to report significant drops in their ability to manage daily activities and overall quality of life.

For urinary toxicity, experiencing acute toxicity increased the rate of late toxicity from 7.5% to 12.5%, and for bowel toxicity, experiencing acute toxicity increased the rate of late toxicity from 12.7% to 22.5%.

The odds of having a clinically-significant decline in urinary quality of life were 1.4 times as high for men who had moderate acute urinary toxicity. The odds of having a clinically-significant decline in bowel quality of life were 1.5 times as high for men who had moderate acute bowel toxicity.

“These results show that acute toxicities following prostate radiotherapy are associated with late toxicities months and years later,” said first author Dr John Nikitas, oncology resident at UCLA Health. “This underscores the importance of measures that reduce the risk of acute toxicities because they may also potentially improve long-term outcomes and quality of life for patients.”

Kishan emphasised the potential impact of newer techniques to reduce both acute and late toxicities:

“Reducing early side effects through advanced techniques like MRI-guided radiation, which allows for more precise targeting of tumours, and urethral-sparing methods, which uses spacers between the prostate to protect surrounding tissues and rectum could potentially help lower the risk of lasting side effects.”

However, more studies are needed to determine if specific strategies to reduce early side effects will improve long-term outcomes and whether treating short-term side effects early can help prevent long-term complications.

Source: University of California – Los Angeles Health Sciences

Categories : CancerTags :

Urine-based Test Detects Aggressive Prostate Cancer

On By ModernMedia
Credit: Darryl Leja National Human Genome Research Institute National Institutes Of Health

Traditional approaches to prostate cancer screening involve blood tests, MRI, and biopsies. Besides being uncomfortable, some of these procedures result in overdiagnosis of low-grade cancers.

In a new study, researchers at the University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center have clinically validated a previously developed urine test, which can potentially bypass these invasive procedures among men who are unlikely to benefit.

Prostate cancers are categorised based on their Gleason Grade or Grade Group. Those with Gleason 3+4=7, or Grade Group 2, or higher are more likely to grow and cause harm in comparison with Gleason 6 or Grade Group 1 prostate cancers, which are considered non-aggressive.

The urine test, called MyProstateScore 2.0, or MPS2, looks at 18 different genes linked to high-grade prostate cancer. 

The researchers had previously demonstrated that the test was effective in identifying GG2 or higher cancers, helping patients avoid unnecessary biopsies. But in that study, urine samples were obtained after a digital rectal examination.

“The process requires the prostate to be compressed, causing the release of cellular debris into a urine sample that the patient provides after the rectal exam,” said Ganesh S. Palapattu, MD, a professor of urology.

Its primary benefit is that the test can accurately predict your probability of developing aggressive prostate cancer, putting both the patient and physician at ease.”

-Ganesh Palapattu, MD

Such an examination may not be practical for many and is associated with some discomfort.

Developing a potential at-home test

In the study, the team modified the urine collection approach so that the MPS2 test could detect markers for prostate cancer, without requiring a prior rectal exam.

Using urine samples from a cohort of 266 men who did not undergo a rectal exam, they found that the test could detect 94% of GG2 or higher cancers and was more sensitive than blood tests.

Further, the team used mathematical models to demonstrate that the use of MPS2 would have avoided up to 53% of unnecessary biopsies.

“These results show that MPS2 has promise as an at-home test,” Palapattu said. 

“Its primary benefit is that the test can accurately predict your probability of developing aggressive prostate cancer, putting both the patient and physician at ease.”

MPS2 can also help patients save on healthcare costs since it is significantly cheaper than an MRI.

The team is interested in repeating the study and corroborating their results with a larger, diverse population of men.

They’re also hoping to study the test’s performance in men as a surveillance screen for low-risk prostate cancer.

“MPS2 could potentially improve the health of our patients by avoiding overdiagnosis and overtreatment and allowing us to focus on those who are most likely to have aggressive cancers,” Palapattu said.

Source: Michigan Medicine – University of Michigan

Categories : CancerTags :

An Unexpected Effect Unlocks New Treatment Option for Prostate Cancer

On By ModernMedia
Credit: Darryl Leja National Human Genome Research Institute National Institutes Of Health

An international research team led by MedUni Vienna may have found a new cancer treatment strategy – by activating a pathway which normally promotes cancer. Unexpectedly, this turned out to not only slow tumour growth, but also stimulates the immune system to combat tumour cells. The results of the study have just been published in Molecular Cancer.

The scientific team focused its investigations on the GP130 signalling pathway, which researchers expect to have a major potential in the fight against cancer. The signalling pathway, which is mediated by the protein GP130, plays a central role in cell communication and influences the activity of the transcription factor STAT3, which in turn is associated with the development and spread of tumours. Accordingly, blocking the GP130 signalling pathway is currently seen as a great hope in cancer medicine. Yet the current study proves the opposite: tumour growth can be slowed down not by inhibiting but by activating the GP130 signalling pathway in prostate cells.
 
New hope, especially for aggressive tumours

To achieve these new findings, the researchers investigated genetically modified mice in which GP130 was specifically activated in the prostate. “This allowed us to directly observe the reduction in tumour growth in the cell,” reports Lukas Kenner (Clinical Department of Pathology, MedUni Vienna), who led the study together with Stefan Rose-John (Biochemical Institute, University of Kiel). The results were further backed up by analyses of tissue samples from prostate cancer patients. This showed that high GP130 values correlate with a better survival rate. At the same time, extensive molecular analyses were carried out, including gene expression profiling.

“Our research provides exciting new evidence that the activation of GP130 in prostate cells not only slows tumour growth, but also stimulates the immune system to actively fight the cancer cells,” says Lukas Kenner, summarising the significance of the results, which will now be confirmed in further studies. The research work opens up a promising new therapeutic option, particularly for aggressive prostate cancer, which is still difficult to treat.

Source: Medical University of Vienna

Categories : Cancer Environmental EffectsTags :

Study Reveals Links between Many Pesticides and Prostate Cancer

On By ModernMedia

US county-level data point to specific pesticides that may increase prostate cancer incidence and death.

Photo by Arjun Mj on Unsplash

Researchers have identified 22 pesticides consistently associated with the incidence of prostate cancer in the United States, with four of the pesticides also linked with prostate cancer mortality. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

To assess county-level associations of 295 pesticides with prostate cancer across counties in the United States, investigators conducted an environment-wide association study, using a lag period between exposure and prostate cancer incidence of 10–18 years to account for the slow-growing nature of most prostate cancers. The years 1997–2001 were assessed for pesticide use and 2011–2015 for prostate cancer outcomes. Similarly, 2002–2006 were analysed for pesticide use and 2016–2020 for outcomes.

Among the 22 pesticides showing consistent direct associations with prostate cancer incidence across both time-based analyses were three that had previously been linked to prostate cancer, including 2,4-D, one of the most frequently used pesticides in the United States. The 19 candidate pesticides not previously linked to prostate cancer included 10 herbicides, several fungicides and insecticides, and a soil fumigant.

Four pesticides that were linked to prostate cancer incidence were also associated with prostate cancer mortality: three herbicides (trifluralin, cloransulam-methyl, and diflufenzopyr) and one insecticide (thiamethoxam). Only trifluralin is classed by the Environmental Protection Agency as a “possible human carcinogen,” whereas the other three are considered “not likely to be carcinogenic” or have evidence of “non-carcinogenicity.”

“This research demonstrates the importance of studying environmental exposures, such as pesticide use, to potentially explain some of the geographic variation we observe in prostate cancer incidence and deaths across the United States,” said lead author Simon John Christoph Soerensen, MD, of Stanford University School of Medicine. “By building on these findings, we can advance our efforts to pinpoint risk factors for prostate cancer and work towards reducing the number of men affected by this disease.”

Source: Wiley