Groundbreaking study reveals new means of tackling prostate cancer

UK scientists have carried out a world-first study that reveals a new means of treating prostate cancer among those with advanced forms of the disease.

Surgeons at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute at the University of Cambridge have studied patient tissue samples, discovering that a protein called the androgen receptor fuels advanced prostate cancer by activating new gene network not previously linked with the condition.

Prostate cancer is mainly driven by the male sex hormones known as androgens, which are blocked in standard therapy regimens, but up to now there have been few options available for those who develop a resistance to such drugs.

Study author Naomi Sharma, urology academic registrar at Addenbrooke’s Hospital based at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute, said: "These important findings provide fresh targets for the development of new drugs to treat advanced stages of prostate cancer and new flags to help doctors track the progression of the disease in patients."

This could be an important discovery, as prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK, with more than 34,000 cases diagnosed every year.