What's New With Prostate Cancer

The following are some of the things that can be found in the newest literature regarding prostate cancer.

There are a total of 156 differentially expressed genes that code for human prostate cancer, according to Ref. 4. The "E2F4" gene is one of the major players for the epithelial tumor cells. The "Daxx" gene is found more in tumor stroma. The authors feel that much can be learnt from further study of the expression of these genes.

This will open new doors for innovative prostate cancer treatments.

How can impotence as a result of radiotherapy be prevented? Ref. 5 has the answer:

These authors found that too much unnecessary radiation to the bulb of the penis (the root of the swelling bodies at the inside end of the penis) is to be blamed for impotence after radiation for prostate cancer. By changing the configuration of the crossing beams and sparing the bulb of the penis the impotence rate and severity can be reduced. At the same time the cure rates for prostate cancer are unaffected!

Is it true or false that age has an influence on the behavior of prostate cancer? The answer can be found in Ref. 5: Age does not play any significant factor in tumor behavior, however, the tumor stage does. This was already pointed out in the beginning of this chapter..

A new endonuclease, called Ukrain, is a specific chemotherapeutic agent, which is much less toxic than the usual chemotherapeutic agents.

Ref. 7 describes a retrospective study where out of a group of 20 patients with prostate cancer 70% experienced a total remission and another 25% a partial remission of their prostate cancer. However, as encouraging as this study might sound, a well designed phase III clinical trial with proper placebo controls and a prospective set-up needs to be done to verify these findings and to establish the optimal dosage for this new therapy with Ukrain. Here is more on the use of endonuclease inhibitors regarding prostate cancer.

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Disclaimer:

This outline is only a teaching aid to patients and should stimulate you to ask the right questions when seeing your doctor. However, the responsibility of treatment stays in the hands of your doctor and you.

References:

The following references were used apart from my own clinical experience:

1. Cancer: Principles &Practice of Oncology, 4th edition, by V.T. De Vita,Jr.,et. al J.B. LippincottCo.,Philadelphia, 1993.Vol.1: Chapter on Prostate cancer.

2. The Merck Manual, 7th edition, by M. H. Beers et al., Whitehouse Station, N.J., 1999.Chapter 233, p.1918-1919.

3. Cancer: Principles&Practice of Oncology. 5th edition, volume 1. Edited by Vincent T.DeVita, Jr. et al. Lippincott-Raven Publ., Philadelphia,PA, 1997. Chapter on prostate cancer.

4. A Waghray et al. Cancer Res 2001 May 15;61(10):4283-4286.

5. BM Fisch et al. Urology 2001 May;57(5):955-959.

6. CC Parker et al. BJU Int 2001 May;87(7):629-637.

7. B Aschhoff Drugs Exp Clin Res 2000;26(5-6):249-252.

Last Modified: Feb. 3, 2008