Email a Friend
Printer Friendly
Slashdot It!
Submit to Reddit
Add to Facebook

Key pathway in end-stage prostate cancer tumor progression blocked

July 21, 2010

Prostate cancer advances when tumors become resistant to hormone therapy, which is the standard treatment for patients, and begin producing their own androgens.

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found that blocking one of the enzymatic steps that allow the tumor to produce androgens could be the key in halting a tumor's growth.

The findings, appearing online and in the August issue of Endocrinology, suggest that this step might one day provide a new avenue of therapy for patients with end-stage prostate cancer. Health care experts estimate that more than 2 million men in the U.S. have prostate cancer, with more than 27,000 deaths related to the disease in 2009.

"We were able to block the androgen response, which is a central pathway for tumor progression," said Dr. Nima Sharifi, assistant professor of internal medicine and the study's senior author.

End-stage prostate tumors typically are treated with hormones that suppress the levels of the androgens, or male hormones like testosterone, that cause prostate cancer cells to grow. Eventually, however, the tumors become resistant to this therapy and resume their growth.

Using prostate cancer cell lines, Dr. Sharifi and his colleagues found that the hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is converted by the tumors into androgens. By blocking the enzyme 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3βHSD), which is responsible for the first enzymatic step that is required to convert DHEA to androgens, researchers were able to shut down the tumors' lifeline.

"Enzymes in general can make great drug targets, so this process conceivably could be targeted for the development of new treatments for end-stage prostate cancer, which has limited therapeutic options right now," said Dr. Sharifi, an investigator in UT Southwestern's Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center. "The goal would be to develop a drug that targets that enzyme to be used for the advanced, incurable stage."

No standard treatments currently target this enzyme, but there is proven clinical evidence that this pathway is central to driving tumor progression.

UT Southwestern Medical Center

Related Prostate Cancer Current Events and Prostate Cancer News Articles

Prostate Cancer Current Events and Prostate Cancer News RSS

The cancer biomarker conundrum: Too many false discoveries
The boom in cancer biomarker investments over the past 25 years has not translated into major clinical success. The reasons for biomarker failures include problems with study design and interpretation, as well as statistical deficiencies.

Study shows physicians reluctant to use chemoprevention for prostate cancer
Despite the dramatic results of the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT), which showed a significant reduction in prostate cancer among those taking finasteride, physicians have not increased its use, according to a study published in the September issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Rutgers researchers assess severity of prostate cancers using magnetic resonance imaging
Rutgers researchers are developing methods that can accurately assess the severity of prostate cancer by analyzing magnetic resonance images and spectra of a patient's prostate gland.

Inhibiting prostate cancer without disturbing regular body processes
Inhibiting prostate cancer without disturbing regular body processes Researchers explain how a facultative enzyme governs tumour growth.

Surgery better than radiation, hormone treatments for some prostate cancer, study shows
Surgery for localized prostate cancer offers a significantly higher survival rate than either external-beam radiation or hormonal therapies.

Laser may reduce prostate surgery's sexual side effects
One of the challenges of prostate cancer surgery is removing the cancer-affected gland without side effects. The procedure is estimated to cause long-term sexual dysfunction in half of men.

New technique in robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy
Stress urinary incontinence is one of the most feared complications of radical prostatectomy.

Purdue-IU team uncovers potential prostate cancer marker
Studies by a Purdue University-led team have revealed a potential marker for prostate cancer that could be the starting point for less invasive testing and improved diagnosis of the disease.

Dense bones linked to raised risk for prostate cancer
Men who develop prostate cancer, especially the more aggressive and dangerous forms that spread throughout the body, tend to retain denser bones as they age than men who stay free of the disease, suggests new research from Johns Hopkins and the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health

Few people are doing it, so why should I? Motivating men to seek cancer screening
In Germany, several national health campaigns promote cancer screening by announcing that only one in five German men gets screened.

More Prostate Cancer Current Events and Prostate Cancer News Articles

	Dr. Patrick Walsh's Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer, Second Edition by Patrick C. Walsh (Author), Janet Farrar Worthington (Author) EVERY MAN NEEDS THIS BOOK! Each year, more than 200,00 American men are diagnosed with prostate cancer. The good news is that more men are being cured of this disease than ever before. Now in a revised second edition, this lifesaving guide by Dr. Patrick Walsh and ard-winning science writer Janet Farrar Worthington offers a message of hope to every man facing this illness. Prostate cancer is a different disease in every man--which means that the right treatment varies for each man. Giving you a second opinion from the world's top experts in surgery, pathology, urology, and radiation and medical oncology, this book helps you determine the best plan for you. Learn:What causes prostate cancer--your risk factors, including heredity, diet, and environmentHow some simple changes in your...
	You Can Beat Prostate Cancer by Robert J. Marckini (Author) The task of choosing the right prostate cancer treatment is daunting. It is further complicated by conflicting information the patient receives from physicians and the Internet. This book is written by a prostate cancer survivor who now runs an international prostate cancer support group. It's about his journey and the important things he learned along the way. It is the book the author wishes had been available when he was diagnosed 6 years ago. It is intended to provide specific information for men who are at risk or have been recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. All major treatment options are examined and the pros and cons of each are summarized. A relatively new, non-invasive, highly effective treatment is highlighted. It is an option that cures cancer as well as any other...
	The Cleveland Clinic Guide to Prostate Cancer (Cleveland Clinic Guides) by Eric Klein (Author) Expert medical advice from one of the nation’s top-ranked hospitals for urology and cancer care This year, more than 230,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, while 1 in 6 men will fight prostate cancer in their lives. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men over age 50. In The Cleveland Clinic Guide to Prostate Cancer, Dr. Eric A. Klein, ranked one of America’s best doctors, offers men the substantive information they need to prevent, treat, and even live well with prostate cancer. This excellent resource gives readers the trusted medical guidance Dr. Klein offers his patients, including: The best diagnostic tests, new therapies, and medications currently being tested in clinical trialsInsight into the treatments that have been shown to be the most...
	The Decision: Your prostate biopsy shows cancer. Now what?: Medical insight, personal stories, and humor by a urologist who has been where you are now. (Volume 1) by John C. McHugh M.D. (Author), Johanna C. Craig Ph.D. (Editor), Sandra B. Brim Ph.D. (Editor), Janice K. Watts (Editor), Graham L. Gaines (Editor), William P. Black (Editor), Travis Massey (Editor) Over 200,000 times a year in the U.S. a patient will leave his urologist's office having been told he has prostate cancer. What the patient thought to be a disease of old men from which they do not die, now becomes a very complicated and frustrating dilemma about which treatment to pursue. "The Decision" offers the reader an insider's view to the key issues necessary for a well thought-out treatment plan peculiar only to him. Being a urologist who treats prostate cancer and having had the disease as well, uniquely positions the author in offering guidance to the newly diagnosed prostate cancer patient. Dr. McHugh outlines a novel and multifaceted approach, using an eclectic mix of medical insight ,personal stories and humor, to aid the reader in making his "Decision."
	Prostate Cancer Survivors Speak Their Minds: Advice on Options, Treatments, and Aftereffects by Arthur L. Burnett II (Author), Norman Morris (Author) Personal stories show men how to make the right decisions for themselves, with medical insights from a leading Johns Hopkins authority on prostate cancer If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, you want to know the facts about treatment options as well as what to expect through the process of treatment and recovery. Written by Dr. Arthur L. Burnett, II. one of the world's most distinguished authorities on prostate cancer and veteran CBS News journalist and prostate cancer survivor, Norman Morris, Prostate Cancer Survivors Speak Their Minds gives you the information you need through the experiences of men who have had prostate cancer. Dr. Burnett speaks openly and honestly about prostate cancer options, treatments, and aftereffects and shares...
	Johns Hopkins Patients' Guide to Prostate Cancer (The Johns Hopkins Patients' Guide) by Arthur L. Burnett (Author) The Johns Hopkins Patients Guide to Prostate Cancer is a concise, easy-to-follow how to guide that puts you on a path to wellness by explaining prostate cancer treatments from start to finish. It guides you through the overwhelming maze of treatment decisions, simplifies the complicated schedule that lies ahead, and provides valuable tools to help you to put together your plan of care. Empower yourself with accurate, understandable information that will give you the ability to confidently participate in the decision making about your care and treatment.
	How We Survived Prostate Cancer: What We Did and What We Should Have Done by Victoria Hallerman (Author), Peter S. Albert M.D. (Foreword) Finally, a much-needed voice for the spouses and partners of prostate cancer survivors--an unflinchingly honest and beautifully written memoir about one couple's struggles and transformation that serves as a guide for others dealing with the disease. Facts: * Prostate cancer is the most common cancer, other than skin cancers, in American men. * 90% of the 190,000 men diagnosed annually will be cured. * 2 million men currently live as survivors. Though many sources exist for men dealing with this dreaded disease, their partners are often left on their own to figure out how to deal with personality changes and sudden "male menopause," how to redefine love and intimacy, and how to deal with side effects of the treatment. Victoria Hallerman, an accomplished...
	Prostate and Cancer: A Family Guide to Diagnosis, Treatment, and Survival by Sheldon Marks MD (Author) Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting American men, with over 186,000 new cases diagnosed in the United States annually; 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. Renowned prostate cancer specialist Sheldon Marks offers the definitive guide for men concerned about or diagnosed with prostate cancer, and for their families. Since the third edition (2003), there have been significant changes in treatment and resources. Working with Dr. Judd Moul, the Chairman of Urology at Duke and one of the world’s top experts on prostate cancer, Marks provides the most up-to- date information on diagnosis, treatment, and common questions.
	Dr. Peter Scardino's Prostate Book, Revised Edition: The Complete Guide to Overcoming Prostate Cancer, Prostatitis, and BPH by M.D., Peter T. Scardino (Author), Judith Kelman (Author) Newly revised, with up-to-the-minute findings: the potentially lifesaving guide to prostate health by one of the world's foremost urologists Although most men know little about their prostate glands, an overwhelming majority will be affected by prostate problems at some time in their lives. In this groundbreaking book, now updated to include the latest medical break-throughs, world-renowned urology expert Dr.Peter Scardino arms men with the information they need to battle prostate cancer, prostatitis, and benign prostate enlargement (BPH). This updated edition includes new information on the role genetics may play, hormone replacement therapy, new treatments for prostatitis, and more. With clear illustrations and charts throughout, this book covers everything men should...
	Surviving Prostate Cancer Without Surgery by Bradley Hennenfent (Author) The niche bestseller "Surviving Prostate Cancer Without Surgery" begins with the shooting of a urologist and includes a World War II Battle. The book exposes the big lie about radical prostate surgery, is filled with cartoons and simple diagrams, and is written for the average layperson in easy-to-understand style. "Surviving Prostate Cancer Without Surgery" quotes Dr. Gary Onik, M.D., Cryosurgeon and Director of Surgical Imaging at Celebration Health Hospital, Celebration, Florida, who says: "I expect that within five years we will see the death of the radical prostatectomy as a treatment for prostate cancer." The author, Bradley Hennenfent, M.D., has seen five uncles suffer from prostate cancer and his book includes many uplifting stories about less harmful treatments than surgery. Dr....