UPDATE - Issue 17 - April 2004
Research into cancer in the bones
Josh Philips from the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield explains the project that the Prostate Research Campaign UK is funding.
Firstly, we will test the performance Knowledge of the numbers of tumour cells in the circulation, and the rate at which they are being shed from the prostate, would significantly improve treatment timing and decision making for men with prostate cancer. Over the last 15 months we have collected a comprehensive bio-repository of blood samples from 350 men enrolled of several of the latest markers to emerge as potential tumour trackers in prostate cancer. Preliminary studies (supported strongly by work from the University of Sheffield) have demonstrated that these markers can potentially predict early metastatic spread to bone prior to formation of established skeletal metastases. Such a tool would be critical in the early clinical management of patients with advancing disease, and may enable better timing of treatments such as bisphosphonates, thereby delaying their rate of metastasis development and the associated complications.
Clinical use for patients with advancing disease
Secondly, we will use a new technique to determine the level of metastatic prostate cancer cells in the circulation. This technique has been refined by a group in Finland, with whom we are collaborating, and has the potential to markedly enhance the accuracy of conventional prostate cancer staging. Knowledge of the numbers of tumour cells in the circulation, and the rate at which they are being shed from the prostate, would significantly improve treatment timing and decision making for men with prostate cancer.
Over the last 15 months we have collected a comprehensive bio-repository of blood samples from 350 men enrolled in our study, with repeat sampling on a 3-6 monthly basis. In this way, we will monitor these markers across a full spectrum of patients with prostate cancer, and over a comprehensive time period. Ongoing new patient recruitment along with the re-sampling of current patients also provides excellent scope for the study to be continued in the future, and will ultimately provide a unique and invaluable source of specimens for further analysis.