UK study identifies five separate forms of prostate cancer

Prostate cancer can be categorised into five distinct and different forms, according to a new UK research project.

A team from the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute and Addenbrooke's Hospital studied samples of healthy and cancerous prostate tissue from more than 250 men to find abnormal chromosomes and measure the activity of 100 genes linked to the disease.

By doing so, they were able to group the tumours into five distinct types, each with a characteristic genetic fingerprint, thereby making it easier to predict which cancers were likely to be the most aggressive compared to the tests currently used by doctors.

Though further research is needed, this could pave the way for the development of new treatments that can address the effects of each form of the disease in a more tailored way.

Study author Dr Alastair Lamb, from the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, said: "By carrying out more research into how the different diseases behave, we might be able to develop more effective ways to treat prostate cancer patients in the future, saving more lives."

Prostate cancer is currently the most common cancer in men in the UK, with around 41,700 cases diagnosed every year.