Niet iedereen heeft baat bij het
vroegtijdig opsporen van prostaatkanker. Bij mannen met lage PSA-waarden lijken de
voordelen van agressieve opsporing en behandeling beperkt.
Mannen met prostaatkanker hebben minder van
een bepaald soort proteïne in hun urine dan gezonde mannen. In de toekomst zou de ziekte
daardoor met een simpele urinetest vastgesteld kunnen worden.
Onderzoekers van het Erasmus MC in
Rotterdam hebben een manier gevonden om te voorspellen welke mannen met beginnende
prostaatkanker baat hebben bij behandeling en welke niet.
Chirurgie beter dan straling,
hormoon behandelingen voor sommige prostaatkanker gevallen
Chirurgie voor gelokaliseerde
prostaatkanker biedt een aanzienlijk hogere overlevings percentage dan externe licht
straling of hormonale therapie, volgens een nieuwe studie door onderzoekers van UCSF.
Studies hebben een potentiële
"marker" voor prostaatkanker aangetoond. Een nieuwe analyse techniek om een
profiel van de lipiden, of vetten, te maken, gevonden in prostaatweefsel, onthulde een
moleculaire verbinding dienuttig lijkt zijn bij het vaststellen van kanker en prekanker
weefsel. Het profiel liet zien dat cholesterol sulfaat een stof is, die afwezig is in
gezond prostaat weefsel, maar een belangrijke vet, dat gevonden wordt in prostaatkanker
tumoren.
Bewaking kan een passende
behandeling zijn voor patiënten met een laag risico op prostaatkanker
Actief toezicht of een afwachtend beleid
kan voldoende zijn om patienten te behandelen die prostaatkanker hebben met een klein
risico op progressie. Dit zijn de resultaten van een nieuwe studie die is gepubliceerd op
18 juni in het Dagboek van het Nationale Kanker Instituut.
Genetische "merkstoffen"
kunnen prostaatkanker bij jongere mannen voorspellen, blijkt uit een studie van de
universiteit van Michigan
Prostaatkanker komt vaker voor bij jonge
mannen en het is vaak agressiever bij deze mannen. Een nieuwe studie van onderzoekers aan
het Kankercentrum van de universiteit van Michigan heeft aangetoond dat een aantal
genetische mutaties (de gen. "merkstoffen") kunnen helpen bij het opsporen van
beginnende prostaatkanker.
Thymoquinone uit zwart zaad kan
agressieve prostaatkanker afremmen
Onderzoekers van de Tulane Universitaire
Medische School te New Orleans hebben in vitro aangetoond dat thymoquinone (TQ - een
hoofdbestanddeel van het zwarte zaad van de plant Nigella sativa) de groei van diverse
cellijnen bij aggressieve prostaatkankers kan vertragen. Eerdere studies bewezen reeds dat
TQ anti-proliferatieve effecten (gericht tegen snelle groei – nvdv) op diverse vormen
van kanker heeft, maar het
moleculaire mechanisme ervan werd nog niet eerder zo duidelijk afgebakend.
Bij prostaatkanker screenings wordt
vaak onterecht de ziekte geconstateerd
Bij één op de acht mannen die onderzocht
zijn op prostaatkanker wordt ten onrechte de ziekte geconstateerd Het onderzoek hiernaar
is onlangs gepubliceerd in het 'British Journal of Cancer'. Het testen op een
prostaatspecifiek antigen (PSA), een verklikker voor prostaat ontsteking en waarschijnlijk
een indicator voor een verhoogd risico op prostaatkanker, is door de Europese Unie nog
niet erkend. De 'European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer', momenteel
actief in 7 landen, verzamelt informatie waarmee op basis daarvan dergelijk onderzoek wel
of niet kan worden goedgekeurd.
Een supplement dat mannen gebruiken tegen
prostaatkanker [en soms ook tegen haaruitval] bevat een krachtig synthetisch oestrogeen.
Dat ontdekten artsen van de St. Anna Zorggroep in Geldrop, die bij een gebruiker borsten
moesten weghalen. De man had 2 jaar lang het supplement ProstaSol geslikt.
Plegen mannen met prostraatkanker
in een vroeg stadium vaker zelfmoord?
Door de invoering van de
prostaat-specifieke antigen (PSA)-test als screeningsinstrument voor vroegtijdige
opsporing van prostaatkanker (PCA) is sinds het begin van de jaren 1990 de opsporing van
prostaatkanker drastisch toegenomen. Het risico van zelfmoord is toegenomen bij patiënten
met kanker inclusief bij mannen met prostaatkanker. Om het risico van zelfmoord bij mannen
die gediagnosticeerd zijn met de PSO na de PSA-test, werd in Zweden een landelijke studie
uitgevoerd. De resultaten zijn gepubliceerd in de maart-editie van de European Urology,
het wetenschappelijk tijdschrift van de European Association of Urology (EAU). Angst
veroorzaakt door een crisis reactie kan zich ontwikkelen tot een depressie, en
verschillende studies hebben aangetoond dat er sprake is van een hoog angst niveau bij
screeners in diverse screening programma's. Echter, zoals in de meeste landen,
vertegenwoordigen mannen die toertertijd een PSA test ondergingen in Zweden een
opportunistische screening populatie, en niet een echte populatie, gebaseerd op
screeningsprogramma's die op uitnodiging plaatshadden. Daarom kunnen zij meer gezondheid
bewust zijn, minder vatbaar voor het ontwikkelen van depressies, en meer bereid om de
mogelijke neveneffecten van curatieve behandeling te accepteren dan de algemene bevolking.
Heeft het oestrogeenniveau van een
man invloed op het risico van
prostaatkanker?
Een hoog niveau van een bepaald type
oestrogeen in een mannenlichaam, zou de kans op prostaatkanker hunnen verhogen. Dit is een
verrassende conclusie van een nieuwe studie, die nog een nieuwe vondst liet zien-, nl dat
hoge niveaus van oestrogeen die gezien zouden kunnen worden als de bron voor borstkanker,
bescherming zouden bieden tegen prostaatkanker. Details van dit onderzoek zullen
gepresenteerd worden op jaarlijkse vergadering van de AACR in 2010. De fysieke staat van
de prostaat wordt geruime tijd gezien afhankelijk te zijn van het niveau van mannelijke
hormonen, bekend onder de verzamelnaam androgenen, alhoewel nu onderkend wordt dat
oestrogenen en hun stofwisseling (oestrogeen wordt afgebroken door chemische processen in
het lichaam) een rol spelen in het normale ontwikkelingsproces alswel bij prostaatkanker.
”Het doel van onze studie was het evalueren van het gebruik van oestrogene
stofwisselingsprocessen als een marker voor het risico op prostaatkanker,” stelt
Ourania Kosti, PhD, verbonden aan Georgetown Lombardi Coprehensive Cancer Center.
Betere prognose markers voor
prostaat kanker ontdekt
Als men de niveaus van het actieve proteine
EGFR in tumoren en de directe omgeving van tumoren zou opmeten kan dit een meer
betrouwbare prognose opleveren voor personen die prostaatkanker hebben.Dit is wat Peter
Hammersten en collega's van de Umea Universiteit beschrijven in een studie in het
belangrijke wetenschappelijke blad "klinisch kanker onderzoek".Eén van de
grootste problemen bij prostaat kanker is dat met de huidige prognose methode ongeveer
70-80 percent van de patiënten terecht komen in een groep waar weinig gezegd kan worden
over hun ziekte prognose. Jammer genoeg, zijn de huidige methodes niet goed genoeg om te
bepalen, welke patiënten werkelijk behandeling nodig hebben en welke door kunnen zonder
de zware behandeling. Dit betekent, ook dat bepaalde patiënten over behandeld worden met
therapieën die kunnen leiden tot erstige bijwerkingen en dat andere patiënten die
daadwerkelijk een zware behandeling nodig hebben deze niet krijgen of te laat krijgen.In
een studie kort geleden gepubliceerd in het wetenschappelijke blad "klinisch kanker
onderzoek" bestudeert Hammersten weefsel van prostaat tumoren bij 259 patienten en
ontdekte een nieuw prognose niveau voor prostaat kanker.Het is de actieve vorm van het
proteine EFGR die aangaf informatie te kunnen bieden over de agressiviteit van de tumor
gemeten in de tumor zelf of in het gezonde weefsel dat de tumor
omgeeft.
Ohio State cancer researchers and food
scientists have developed a new soy bread that theyre hoping can take a bite out of
prostate cancer.
Afweer en prostaatkanker: vriend of
vijand?
Over het ontstaan van prostaatkanker en de
behandeling ervan, zijn de afgelopen jaren veel nieuwe ontdekkingen gedaan. Winald
Gerritsen, directeur VUmc CCA, laat in zijn oratie ‘Afweer en prostaatkanker: vriend
of vijand?’ zien hoe natuurlijke afweer een belangrijke rol speelt bij de genezing
van prostaatkanker. Prostaatkanker is de meest voorkomende kanker bij mannen. 8000 mannen
per jaar krijgen de diagnose prostaatkanker te horen. Van die mannen is 60% ouder dan 65
jaar. In Nederland leven er ongeveer 36.000 mannen met prostaatkanker en ongeveer 2000
mannen overlijden per jaar aan de ziekte. Natuurlijke afweer vervult een bijzondere rol
bij prostaatkanker. Bij een ontsteking, in feite een natuurlijke afweerreactie tegen
bacteriën, worden er stoffen aangemaakt die schade veroorzaken aan de prostaat. Een
chronische ontsteking is mede oorzaak van het ontstaan van prostaatkanker. Het
afweermechanisme is dan een vijand. Maar het afweermechanisme blijkt ook een vriend te
kunnen zijn. VUmc heeft, in samenwerking met enkele Amerikaanse instituten, aangetoond dat
het stimuleren van diezelfde natuurlijke afweer gebruikt kan worden bij de behandeling van
prostaatkanker. Afweer inzetten tegen prostaatkanker gebeurt in drie stappen: met behulp
van cellen verkennen waar de kanker zit, vervolgens deze informatie doorgeven aan andere
cellen en daarna met behulp van deze 'getrainde' cellen een aanval opzetten tegen de
kanker. In 2009 is in de Verenigde Staten ook een succesvol vaccin tegen prostaatkanker
ontwikkeld. Een samenwerking tussen internationale onderzoekers in Baltimore, New York en
Amsterdam leidde daarmee tot een dubbele strategie. De combinatie van een vaccin en het
efficiënt opzetten van de aanval met behulp van de natuurlijke afweer, helpt bij 20% van
de patiënten de prostaatkanker terug te dringen. Winald Gerritsen spreekt zijn inaugurele
rede uit op 22 januari 2010, hiermee wordt Gerritsen geïnstalleerd als hoogleraar
translationele oncologie, in het bijzonder gen-immunotherapie aan VUmc. De rede wordt
voorafgegaan door het symposium 'Fighting the blues, Symposium on prostate cancer'.
Designer T-Cells tackle prostate
cancer
Richard Junghans, M.D., Ph.D., associate
professor of surgery and medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, presents at AACR
2009, Denver: Phase I Trial of Anti-PSMA Designer T Cells in Prostate Cancer.
Sunita Setlur, Ph.D., post doctoral fellow,
Brigham and Womens Hospital, Harvard Medical School, presents at AACR 2009, Denver:
Association of UGT2B17, UGT2B7 and UGT2B28 Gene Copy Number with Prostate Cancer Risk
More news about the Dr Red Punch which has
been developed using the most powerful antioxidants. The punch formula are made from
ingredients such as turmeric, citrus and olive, and using an extraction process that
targets only powerful fat soluble antioxidants like curcumin (turmeric) and limonene
(citrus peel oil). Blueberry Punch formula includes Blueberry, red grape, white grape,
elderberry, rasberry, citrus skin extracts, green tea extract, olive leaf/olive pulp
extracts, grape seed extract, grape skin extract, tarragon, turmeric and ginger.
Dr. Richard Chopp on HIFU
Botmarkers en choline PET-scan
helpen bij opsporing uitgezaaide prostaatkanker
Uit het promotieonderzoek van Anton
Breeuwsma blijkt dat botmarkers in het bloed kunnen helpen bij het voorspellen van de kans
op uitzaaiingen in de botten bij prostaatkanker. Een natrium fluoride-PET scan bleek niet
nauwkeuriger voor het vaststellen van uitzaaiingen in de botten ten opzichte van de
gebruikelijke skeletscan. Overigens lijkt de MRI van het skelet iets nauwkeuriger ten
opzicht van de beide
nucleaire botscans. Met een choline PET scan kan de plaats van opnieuw ontstane
prostaatkanker zichtbaar gemaakt worden, zo blijkt verder. Deze opsporingsmethode is
echter alleen effectief bij patiënten die bestraald zijn. Bij patiënten bij wie de
prostaat operatief is verwijderd, heeft de opsporingsmethode geen meerwaarde bij de keuze
van de vervolgbehandeling boven de gebruikelijke methode.
U-M researchers find family of 'on switches' that cause prostate cancer
Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have discovered how
genes turn on the switch that leads to prostate cancer. The team discovered that pieces of
two chromosomes can trade places with each other and cause two genes to fuse together. The
fused genes then override the "off" switch that keeps cells from growing
uncontrollably, causing prostate cancer to develop.
Men with susceptibility for prostate cancer will soon be identifiable through a simple DNA
test. So hope scientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet, who have
shown that men carrying a combination of known risk genes run a four to five times higher
risk of developing prostate cancer. At present, men with suspected prostate cancer are
identified mainly using what are known as PSA tests. However, the test has a relatively
low sensitivity and better methods are needed.
No Evidence That Widely Prescribed
Statins Protect Against Prostate Cancer
A large community-based study refutes previous findings that statins - a top-selling drug
class, worldwide -- might cut one's risk of developing prostate cancer by reducing
production of the male hormones that fuel cancer growth. Researchers from the New England
Research Institutes found that while men using statins did indeed have lower blood levels
of androgens such as testosterone, it was more likely attributable to poor health rather
than the use of statins. Their findings are published in the August issue of Cancer
Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for
Cancer Research.
New study shows that a cough
medicine ingredient could effectively treat prostate cancer
A study published today in the December issue of the European medical journal Anticancer
Research demonstrates that an ingredient used in a common cough suppressant may be useful
in treating advanced prostate cancer. Researchers found that noscapine, which has been
used in cough medication for nearly 50 years, reduced tumor growth in mice by 60% and
limited the spread of tumors by 65% without causing harmful side effects. Prostate cancer
is the most common cancer among men in the United States. The American Cancer Society
estimates that 186,320 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008 and 28,660 will
die from it. One man in 6 will get prostate cancer during his lifetime. Although
slow-growing in most men, the cancer is considered advanced when it spreads beyond the
prostate. There is no known cure. The laboratory study was a joint effort by Dr. Israel
Barken of the Prostate Cancer Research and Educational Foundation, Moshe Rogosnitzky of
MedInsight Research Institute, and Dr. Jack Geller of The University of California San
Diego. Noscapine has previously been studied as a treatment for breast, ovarian, colon,
lung and brain cancer and for various lymphomas, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and
melanoma. This study, however, is the first to demonstrate its effectiveness in treating
prostate cancer.
For the first time, a research group at the Institute of Food Research led by Professor
Richard Mithen has provided an explanation of how eating broccoli might reduce cancer risk
based upon studies in men, as opposed to trying to extrapolate from animal models.
Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer for males in western countries. The
research has provided an insight into why eating broccoli can help men stay healthy.
First biomarker discovered that
predicts prostate cancer outcome
Mayo Clinic researchers have identified the first immune molecule that appears to play a
role in prostate cancer development and in predicting cancer recurrence and progression
after surgery.
New way to predict prostate cancer spreadingFor men, one of the leading causes of death
from cancer is prostate cancer that has spread to a second site (something known as
metastatic prostate cancer). Defining the molecular mechanisms by which the initial tumor
becomes able to spread to a new site (a process known as metastasis) is likely to help
clinicians predict an individual's chance of survival and help researchers develop new
therapies. New data, generated by John Martignetti and colleagues, at Mount Sinai School
of Medicine, New York, has identified a specific form of the protein KLF6 (KLF6-SV1) as
indicative of poor survival in men with prostate cancer.
UGA study finds common component of
fruits, vegetables kills prostate cancer cells
A new University of Georgia study finds that pectin, a type of fiber found in fruits and
vegetables and used in making jams and other foods, kills prostate cancer cells. The
study, published in the August issue of the journal Glycobiology, found that exposing
prostate cancer cells to pectin under laboratory conditions reduced the number of cells by
up to 40 percent.
VUMC first in state to test new,
less invasive prostate cancer therapy
Urologic surgeons at Vanderbilt University Medical Center will be the first in Tennessee
to test a new, minimally invasive, surgical procedure to treat prostate cancer. The
Ablatherm procedure uses high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to destroy cancerous
prostate tissue without any incision.
Androgen deprivation therapy for
localized prostate cancer not associated with improved survival
A therapy that involves depriving the prostate gland the male hormone androgen is not
associated with improved survival for elderly men with localized prostate cancer, compared
to conservative management of the disease, according to a study in the July 9 issue of
JAMA.
More frequent screening for prostate cancer, as expected, found more tumors, but failed to
cut the number of aggressive tumors detected in between scheduled screenings, European
researchers said on Tuesday.
Possible link found between X-rays
and prostate cancer
Researchers at the University of Nottingham have shown an association between certain past
diagnostic radiation procedures and an increased risk of young-onset prostate cancer -- a
rare form of prostate cancer which affects about 10 percent of all men diagnosed with the
disease.
Red wine compound shown to prevent
prostate cancer
Consuming a red wine compound called resveratrol may reduce the risk of developing
prostate cancer, report UAB researchers. Male transgenic mice fed resveratrol showed an 87
percent reduction in their prostate tumor risk after 7 months of observation.
'Mismatched' prostate cancer
treatment more common than expected
More than a third of men with early prostate cancer who participated in a study analyzing
treatment choice received therapies that might not be appropriate, based on pre-existing
problems with urinary, bowel or sexual function. The prevalence of these treatment
"mismatches" could reflect patient unwillingness to discuss such problems with
their physicians.
UC Davis researchers identify a
cellular pathway that makes prostate cancer fatal
Expanding evidence that tiny strands of RNA -- called microRNAs -- play big roles in the
progress of some cancers, UC Davis researchers have identified one that helps jump start
prostate cancer cell growth midway through the disease process, eventually causing it to
become fatal.
Measles Virus May Be Effective
Prostate Cancer Treatment
A new study appearing in The Prostate has found that certain measles virus vaccine strain
derivatives, including a strain known as MV-CEA, may prove to be an effective treatment
for patients with advanced prostate cancer. The findings show that this type of treatment,
called virotherapy, can effectively infect, replicate in and kill prostate cancer cells.
Prostate cancer is a leading cause death among males in the western world. It is currently
the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths among American men with 186,320 new
cases and 28,660 deaths expected to be recorded in 2008. A sizeable proportion of these
patients ultimately relapse, with a 5-year failure rate for treatment ranging from 14 to
34 percent. No curative therapy is currently available for locally advanced or metastatic
prostate cancer. The median survival time of MV-CEA-treated mice in the study almost
doubled compared to the controls, and complete tumor regression was observed in one-fifth
of treated animals. “Based on our preclinical results as well as the safety of
measles derivatives in clinical trials against other tumor types, these viral strains
could represent excellent candidates for clinical testing against advanced prostate
cancer, including androgen resistant tumors,” says Evanthia Galanis, M.D., of the
Mayo Clinic, senior author of the study. The study was supported by the Mayo Clinic
Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in prostate cancer. These oncolytic
strains of measles virus, represent a novel class of therapeutic agents against cancer
that demonstrates no cross-resistance with existing treatment approaches, and can
therefore be combined with conventional treatment methods. Because primary tumor sites are
easily accessible in prostate cancer, locally recurrent disease represents a promising
target for virotherapy approaches. The virotherapy agent can easily be applied directly to
the prostate tumor via ultrasound-guided needle injections and close monitoring of therapy
can be achieved by non-invasive techniques including ultrasound and MRI.
Herbal Tonic Recipe for Prostate
Cancer and Prevention
Nearly a quarter-million American men each year are diagnosed with prostate cancer and
many more are diagnosed with BPH or Prostatitis; an inflammation of the prostate. Prostate
Cancer and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) used to be diseases of old age and was
usually diagnosed around the age of 80. Today, prostate cancer is now being diagnosed in
men as young as 55.
Researchers at the University of Adelaide have developed a novel approach to treating
advanced prostate cancer that could be more effective with fewer side effects.
More Studies on the Effects of
Statins on the Incidence of Prostate Cancer
Three new studies on the effects of statins on the risk of developing prostate cancer were
published in the November, 2007 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.
Growth factor receptor affects
prostate cancer progression
Breeding mice with a gene for a cellular receptor that can be turned on and off-at
will-not only enabled researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston to show how
prostate cancer progresses, but also provides a model for studying when a drug targeting a
gene will have an effect on the cancer.
Researchers Investigate Links
Between Prostate, Cadmium, Zinc
Cadmium exposure is a known risk factor for prostate cancer, and a new University of
Rochester study suggests that zinc may offer protection againstcadmium.
Study finds gene linked to
aggressive prostate cancer
Results from two genome-wide association studies have identified a genetic variant of the
DAB2IP gene that is associated with the risk of aggressive prostate cancer. Research teams
from the Translational Genomics Research Institute, Wake Forest University School of
Medicine, the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, and Johns Hopkins Medical
Institutions made the discovery jointly.
Exposure to Agent Orange linked to
prostate cancer in Vietnam veterans
UC Davis Cancer Center physicians today released results of research showing that Vietnam
War veterans exposed to Agent Orange have greatly increased risks of prostate cancer and
even greater risks of getting the most aggressive form of the disease as compared to those
who were not exposed.
Active compounds found in Ganoderma
lucidum fungus with potential to treat prostate cancer
A new development in the fight against cancer: Recent research at the University of Haifa
found that molecules found in common fungus Ganoderma lucidum aid in suppressing some of
the mechanisms involved in the progression of prostate cancer. The main action of the
fungus: disrupting androgen receptor activity and impeding the proliferation of cancerous
cells.
New, noninvasive prostate cancer
test beats PSA in detecting prostate cancer
An experimental biomarker test developed by researchers at the University of Michigan more
accurately detects prostate cancer than any other screening method currently in use,
according to a study published in the Feb. 1 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the
American Association for Cancer Research.
Prostate cancer screening not
recommended for men over 75
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has recommended that men over 75 should stop the
routine prostate cancer screening since the risks involved pose more immediate danger than
the cancer itself, according to media reports Wednesday.
To screen or not to screen? One of the more “interesting” experiences of my
journalistic career was co-authoring an Op-Ed for the San Francisco Chronicle in 2002 on
the lack of evidence for prostate cancer screening using the PSA test. The piece caused
quite a reaction, which we later discussed in the BMJ - “Within hours of our piece
being published, prostate cancer charities, support groups, and urologists around the
country had circulated a "Special Alert" by e-mail. This community has huge
faith in PSA tests, and it did not care for our opinion. The e-mail, under the header
"ATTENTION MEN!!" urged the community to take action. By the end of the day,
accusations, abuse, and personal threats jammed our e-mail inboxes. We were compared to
Josef Mengele, and accused of having the future deaths of hundreds of thousands of men on
our hands.”
Simple urine test beats PSA in
detecting prostate cancer
An experimental, non-invasive biomarker test has shown promise to accurately detect
prostate cancer, more than any other screening method currently in use, say researchers.
Men who are continually active at
work may have a decreased risk of prostate cancer
Men with jobs that require them to be physically active may be getting benefits beyond
salary and health insurance -- they may be at a decreased risk of developing prostate
cancer, according to a study at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center.
Jefferson scientists find protein
potential drug target for treatment-resistant prostate cancer
Scientists at Jefferson's Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia have found that a signaling
protein that is key to prostate cancer cell growth is turned on in nearly all recurrent
prostate cancers that are resistant to hormone therapy. If the findings hold up, the
protein, called Stat5, may be a specific drug target against an extremely
difficult-to-treat cancer.
Just 4 months of hormone therapy
can delay prostate cancer growth by up to 8 years
Researchers report that just four months of hormonal therapy before and with standard
external beam radiation therapy slowed cancer growth by as much as eight years --
especially the development of bone metastases -- and increased survival in older men with
potentially aggressive prostate cancer. This "neoadjuvant" hormonal therapy may
allow men most at risk of developing bone metastases avoid long-term hormonal therapy
later on.
The amount of calcium and vitamin D in the diet appears to have little or no impact on the
risk of prostate cancer, but the consumption of low-fat or nonfat milk may increase the
risk of the malignancy, according to the results of two studies published in the American
Journal of Epidemiology.
A new study from Danish researchers has found that childless men have a lower risk of
developing prostate cancer than fathers, and that, paradoxically, the more children a
father has, the lower the risk of the disease.
Multidetector CT Cystography
Accurately Detects Urine Leaks after Prostatectomy
Multidetector CT (MDCT) cystography (diagnostic procedure used to examine the bladder) can
be used to detect vesicourethral leaks (a common problem) after prostatectomy according to
a study that was performed at the Seoul National University College of Medicine in the
Republic of Korea. Forty six patients who underwent prostatectomies were included in the
study. 51 sets of MDCT and conventional cystographic images were evaluated. Results showed
that the urinary leak detection rate using MDCT cystography was 80.4%; that compares to
the 54.3% detection rate using conventional cystography,” said Dr. Sung IL Hwang, MD,
lead author of the study.
Prostate cancer – and perhaps other cancers – promotes the growth of new nerves
and the branching axons that carry their messages, a finding associated with more
aggressive tumors, said researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in the first report of
the phenomenon that appears today in the journal Clinical Cancer Research. Previous
research showed that prostate cancer follows the growth of nerves, but this is the first
time that scientists have demonstrated that the tumors actually promote nerve growth.
"This is the first report of this phenomenon," said Dr. Gustavo Ayala, professor
of pathology and urology at BCM and first author of the article. "It represents an
important new target in prostate cancer treatment, as prostate cancers are more aggressive
when neurogenesis is present." Ayala noted that this finding is comparable to the
discovery of angiogenesis or the growth of new blood vessels. Both are part of the wound
repair process.
Proinflammatory Cytokines could
help improve the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer
Researchers from the University of Alcalá (UAH) have concluded that there could be a link
between the high expression of proinflammatory Cytokines and high levels of prostate
specific antigen (PSA) with the progression of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is one of
the most common tumours affecting the male population, and a digital rectal examination is
the main method for an early detection. Several years ago, prostate specific antigen (PSA)
levels where introduced as a diagnostic test and follow-up of the disease, but there are
alternative situations such as manipulation of the prostate gland in a biopsy or a rectal
exam, and other benign diseases like hyperplasia, that cause a temporary elevation of PSA
levels leading to false positives. The opposite is also true, since normal levels of PSA
have been measured in patients suffering the tumoural pathology. Therefore the prostate
specific antigen is not an indication of the degree of development of the disease. The
researchers of the department of genetics and cell biology at the University of Alcalá
decided to look for new prognostic markers that together with the PSA would increase the
diagnostic specificity of the disease. The molecules selected for the study where
Proinflammatory Cytokines that already play an important role in the development of the
cancer. Their work consisted in relating the expression of different Proinflammatory
Cytokines, Interleuquines 1 & 6 and the necrosis factor-alpha (TFN-a), with the levels
of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in blood serum, both for normal patients (without
tumoural pathology), as well as for pathologic conditions (hyperplasia and cancer), while
also relating them to their role in tumour progression as stated by Mar Royuela.
Hormonal dietary supplements might
promote prostate cancer progression
Hormonal components in over-the-counter dietary supplements may promote the progression of
prostate cancer and decrease the effectiveness of anti-cancer drugs, researchers at UT
Southwestern Medical Center have discovered.
Study implicates protein as a trigger of
advanced prostate cancer recurrence
Scientists with the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill have for the first time implicated a growth-promoting cellular
protein as one trigger of the inevitable recurrence of advanced prostate cancer in men who
are undergoing drug treatment to shut down their sex hormones, or androgens.
New method for combating prostate cancer
developed by Hebrew University Barenholz Prize Winner
A novel method of drug delivery to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells has been
developed by a doctoral candidate in pharmacy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids may
lower prostate cancer genetic risk
A diet rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids found in certain fish or fish oil,
nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils may help lower prostate cancer risk in individuals with a
genetic predisposition to cancer. So conclude researchers from Wake Forest University
School of Medicine in their study appearing online on June 21 in advance of publication in
the July print issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Links Between Prostate Cancer Treatment,
Periodontal Disease
Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine have found that men
receiving hormone treatments for prostate cancer are much more likely to show gum disease
than men who do not receive hormone treatments for prostate cancer. Men diagnosed with
prostate cancer face a dizzying array of treatment options: radiation, seed radiation
(brachytherapy), freezing (cryotherapy), conventional open surgery (radical
prostatectomy), minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopic radical prostatectomy), and, in
advanced stages, chemotherapy and hormone therapy. At every stage, patients must answer a
list of common questions ranging from what is a prostate to which is the best treatment
for prostate cancer. Among the critical elements of their decision is evaluation of the
experiences relayed in other patient stories. In recent years, great strides have been
made in prostate cancer treatment, especially for localized prostate cancer. However, men
with advanced prostate cancer still face a complicated set of treatment decisions largely
because treatments for advanced prostate cancer have remained only partly effective and
associated with serious side effects. Hormone treatment of prostate cancer can reduce pain
from metastatic prostate cancer. However, especially since the introduction of
prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, hormone treatment for prostate cancer has been
applied also for men without metastatic prostate cancer, which means it has been in use
for very long periods. Consequently, doctors are now seeing the long-term complications of
prolonged hormone treatment of prostate cancer. In this month's issue of the Journal of
Urology, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine report
that prostate cancer patients receiving ADT are three times as likely to show signs of
periodontal, or gum disease, as patients who do not receive the therapy.
Increasing omega-3 fatty acid levels, and decreasing levels of omega-6, could reduce the
risk of prostate cancer risk in individuals with a genetic predisposition to cancer, if
results from an animal study can be translated to humans.
Study identifies multiple genetic risk
factors for prostate cancer
A study led by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern
California and Harvard Medical School has identified seven genetic risk factors that
predict risk for prostate cancer. According to the study's findings, these risk factors
are clustered in a single region of the human genome on chromosome 8 and powerfully
predict a man's probability of developing prostate cancer.
Not just a menopausal symptom -- men
have hot flashes, too
A new study in Psychophysiology confirms a surprising fact -- men who have undergone
chemical castration for conditions such as prostate cancer experience hot flashes similar
to those experienced by menopausal women. Using a technique called sternal skin
conductance, doctors were able to positively identify hot flashes in males, a positive
step toward providing therapy for those patients in need.
Measuring calcium intake can help to
identify osteoporosis in men with prostate cancer
Study of 372 men with prostate cancer shows higher than average link with osteoporosis,
regardless of whether hormone therapy or surgery is used. 49 percent of men had
osteoporosis and only seven percent consumed recommended daily intake of calcium.
New Studies Link Health Problems to
Toxic Chemicals
Two new studies link diseases with exposure to low levels of chemical pollution. One study
suggests the chemical Bisphenol-A, found in some plastic bottles and food cans, can
promote prostate cancer. The other study finds small amounts of pesticides can stimulate
allergic reactions, including asthma.
Test May Detect Risk of Developing
Prostate Cancer
Oregon scientists say a simple test can identify men at high risk of life-threatening
prostate cancer even after a biopsy finds no signs of it. The key, researchers say, is
"PSA density," which compares the size of a man's prostate with his levels of a
cancer-related protein called prostate-specific antigen.
UI Studies Reactions To 'False-Positive'
Prostate Cancer Screenings
Men who get a "false-positive" prostate cancer result -- an abnormal screening
test followed by a biopsy indicating no evidence of cancer -- appear more likely to worry
about their subsequent risk of cancer and report more problems with sexual function
compared to men with normal screening results, according to a University of Iowa study.
The study findings, based on telephone surveys of 210 men, appear in the February online
issue of the journal Urology. Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin malignancy
diagnosed in men in the United States. The majority of men in the United States are
screened beginning at age 50 with the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test.
Androgen deprivation therapy for
prostate cancer may increase risk of death from cardiovascular disease in older men, study
finds
Androgen deprivation therapy — one of the most common treatments for prostate cancer
— may increase the risk of death from heart disease in patients over age 65,
according to a new study by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and
Women's Hospital and other institutions. The study results were based on data from
CaPSURE, a national registry of men with prostate cancer. Although the findings need to be
confirmed in clinical trials, the study authors state that oncologists should weigh the
benefits of androgen deprivation therapy, or ADT, against the risk of heart problems in
older prostate cancer patients.
Green Tea and COX-2 Inhibitors Combine
to Slow Growth of Prostate Cancer
Drinking a nice warm cup of green tea has long been touted for its healthful benefits,
both real and anecdotal. But now researchers have found that a component of green tea,
combined with low doses of a COX-2 inhibitor, could slow the spread of human prostate
cancer.
OHSU Cancer Institute Researcher
Identifies Protein Marker For Prostate Cancer Survival
An Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute researcher has identified a
protein that is a strong indicator of survival for men with advanced prostate cancer. The
C-reactive protein, also known as CRP, is a special type of protein produced by the liver
that is elevated in the presence of inflammation. "This could mean that a simple
blood test that is already available could help patients and doctors make better decisions
as they become more informed about what to expect from the prostate cancer they are
facing," said Tomasz Beer, M.D., director of the Prostate Cancer Research at the OHSU
Cancer Institute, associate professor of medicine, (hematology/medical oncology) OHSU
School of Medicine. It has been known that cancer causes an inflammatory response. This
research also suggests that inflammation may play an important role in driving prostate
cancer progression and resistance to therapy. "While sometimes inflammation may slow
the cancer, an increasing body of evidence suggests that cancer can take advantage of the
inflammatory response and the inflammatory cytokines released by the immune reaction may
in fact fuel cancer progression. To the extent that our hypothesis proves true, C-reactive
protein may be reflecting the overall intensity of the inflammation," Beer said. The
finding that higher CRP is associated with shorter survival and a lower probability of
response to chemotherapy is a result of a secondary analysis of inflammatory markers in
patients enrolled in the ASCENT study, a large Phase 2 clinical trial that evaluated
treatment with docetaxel and DN-101, a high dose formulation of calcitriol or docetaxel
with placebo. This analysis included patients from both groups. The analyses were
supported by Novacea Inc., the sponsor of the ASCENT study. This new finding was in
collaboration with Novacea.
HIGH selenium levels may be protective against prostate cancer in certain subgroups of
men, a new study shows. Overall, the researchers found no association between serum
selenium andprostate cancer risk. However, higher serum selenium correlated with a lower
likelihood of prostate cancer in men who reported a high vitamin E intake (more than the
average of 28 IU per day) and thosetaking multivitamins.Also, for smokers, high selenium
levels appeared to reduce their prostate cancer risk. [Ben Licher]
Large-Scale Japanese Study Finds Soy
Protective against Localized Prostate Cancer, But Not Advanced Prostate Cancer
The largest study examining the relationship between the traditional soy-rich Japanese
diet and development of prostate cancer in Japanese men has come to a seemingly
contradictory conclusion: intake of isoflavone chemicals, derived largely from soy foods,
decreased the risk of localized prostate cancer but increased the risk of advanced
prostate cancer. The prospective study of 43,509 men, published in the March issue of
Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, suggests that the effects of isoflavones
on prostate cancer development may differ according to disease stage, say researchers at
the National Cancer Center in Japan. One possible explanation is that isoflavones may
delay the progression of latent prostate cancer only; once tumors lose estrogen-receptor
beta expression and become aggressive, isoflavones may fail to protect against the
development of advanced cancer, and might even increase the risk of progression, possibly
by reducing serum testosterone, researchers say. It is also possible that advanced and
localized prostate cancer may be different tumor subtypes, which may react differently to
isoflavones.
Atrazine and similar reproductive
cancers in people
Considering the prevalence of atrazine in the environment, the continued rise of cancer as
the leading cause of death in the US (and with breast cancer and prostate cancer being the
most common cancers in men and women, respectively), the current findings raise concern
for the impact of atrazine on environmental and public health. This is especially
troubling because African American and Hispanic Americans, more likely to be
occupationally exposed to pesticides and less likely to have proper access to healthcare,
are two to four times more likely to die from breast and prostate cancer.
Obesity at the time of prostate-cancer
diagnosis dramatically increases the risk of dying from the disease
Obese men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer have more than two-and-a-half times the
risk of dying from the disease as compared to men of normal weight at the time of
diagnosis, according to a study by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
The findings by senior author Alan Kristal, Dr.P.H., and colleagues appear online and will
be published in the March 15 print edition of the journal Cancer. "I was very
surprised by the findings," said Kristal, member and associate head of the Cancer
Prevention Program in the Hutchinson Center's Public Health Sciences Division. "We
found the prostate-cancer-specific mortality risk associated with obesity was similar
regardless of treatment, disease grade or disease stage at the time of diagnosis," he
said.
A presentation made at the 17th International Prostate Cancer Update Conference in Vail,
Colorado, has shown noscapine to be effective against prostate cancer. Noscapine, a
non-addictive derivative of opium, has been used worldwide since the 1950's as an
anti-cough medication. Noscapine was originally proposed as an anti-cancer agent in the
early 1960's. However major studies of its broad anti-cancer effects were only done in
recent years.
Prostate Cancer Survival Worse After
Radiation Than Other Modalities
A new analysis that compared 3 common treatment options for prostate cancer found a
difference between them. Men who were treated with external-beam radiotherapy did not live
as long as those who had radioactive seed implants or those who opted for surgery.
Fewer than one in 10 men with early prostate cancer and eligible to choose close
observation rather than active treatment opts for that strategy, researchers report. The
findings suggest that many men at low risk of having their cancer spread may be
overtreated, researcher Daniel Barocas, MD, of New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Weill
Cornell Medical Center in New York, tells WebMD.
Prostate cancer therapy may increase
risk of death from heart disease in older men
Androgen deprivation therapy - one of the most common treatments for prostate cancer - may
increase the risk of death from heart disease in patients over age 65, according to a new
study by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women's Hospital and
other institutions.
Delay in approval of cancer therapy
debated in U.S.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s decision to delay approving an experimental
therapy to treat prostate cancer has enraged seriously ill patients and triggered a bitter
debate in the country, The Washington Post reported Friday. The first-of-its-kind therapy,
called Provenge, is a "vaccine" designed to extend the lives of patients with
advanced prostate cancer by stimulating their immune systems.
Study identifies a common genetic risk
factor for colorectal and prostate cancer
A study led by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern
California has found that one of seven genetic risk factors previously identified as
increasing the probability of developing prostate cancer also increases the probability of
developing colorectal cancer.
Inflammation May Play Role In Metastasis
Of Prostate Cancer
Many would assume that "mounting an immune response" or "having your body
fight the cancer" is a good thing. Now, research at the University of California, San
Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine strongly suggests that inflammation associated with the
progression of tumors actually plays a key role in the metastasis of prostate cancer.
Vitamin D, variations in its receptor
and prostate cancer
Results of this study by Haojie Li and colleagues suggest that vitamin D deficiency is
common among men in the US, and that vitamin D status and genetic variation in the VDR
gene affect prostate cancer risk.
Broccoli and Other Vegetables Linked
with Decreased Risk of Aggressive Prostate Cancer
Eating more cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower is associated with a
reduced risk of aggressive prostate cancer. Several studies have demonstrated an
association between eating vegetables and a reduced risk of prostate cancer, but study
results have not been consistent and many have not investigated the association among
patients with aggressive prostate cancer.
A high body mass index (BMI) does not increase the risk of developing prostate cancer, but
once the disease occurs, a high BMI is associated with a greater risk of dying from the
cancer, researchers report. [Ben Licher]
Seattle-based biotech Dendreon is hoping to get U.S. approval for the first cancer drug
that would train the body to fight off cancer on its own, with few side effects.
Overweight men are far more likely to get misleading results to prostate cancer tests that
compromise their treatment, new research has revealed. A study has found that prostate
biopsies commonly used to diagnose the extent of the disease regularly underestimate the
severity in men carrying extra weight.
MR imaging helps predict recurrence
in prostate cancer patients
MR images taken of prostate cancer patients prior to treatment that show that the cancer
has spread outside the prostate gland capsule help predict whether the cancer will return,
according to a recent study conducted by radiologists at the University of California-San
Francisco.
Indian Medicine Compound May Hold Clues
to Prostate Cancer Prevention
A University of Kentucky researcher has received funding to investigate an herbal compound
used in Indian medicine that may have anti-prostate cancer mechanisms. The National
Institute for Health (NIH) has awarded Damodaran Chendil, assistant professor at the UK
College of Health Sciences, Division of Clinical and Reproductive Sciences, $1.1 million
to investigate the compound. In previous studies, Chendil reported that the herbal
preparation Rasagenthi Lehyam (RL), an herbal formulation used in Indian medicine, is an
effective treatment for prostate cancer in an animal model. The most potent compound of RL
is psoralidin, which proved to have more potent anti-cancer effects in prostate cancer
cells compared to the other isolated compounds identified in RL. The action of psoralidin
inhibits cancerous cell growth and tumor survival. Importantly, Chendil found psoralidin
targets cancer cells without causing significant toxicity to normal prostate cells.
Hormone inhibitor promising for
hard-to-treat prostate cancer
For prostate cancer patients whose tumors have continued to grow despite medical or
surgical castration, a new drug candidate that inhibits production of male hormones
anywhere in the body is showing promise in early trials.
