The latest discoveries related to prostate cancer research, diagnosis and treatment will be presented by several of the nation's leading cancer experts during an all-day symposium at the University of California, San Francisco.
Researchers will present the most recent information regarding cellular interactions in prostate cancer, new gene discoveries and techniques for measuring patient outcomes. In addition, new results of clinical trials of experimental agents for the treatment of prostate cancer--including immunotherapies and alternative therapies--will be presented.
Speakers at the UCSF Cancer Center symposium include Peter Carroll, M.D., chair, department of urology, UC San Francisco; Alice Whittemore, Ph.D., department of epidemiolgy and health research and policy, Stanford University; and Owen Witte, M.D., department of microbiology and molecular genetics, UC Los Angeles.
Prostate cancer--which will claim an estimated 37,000 lives this year--is a significant health care problem in the U.S. due to high incidence and mortality, costs associated with detection and treatment, and lack of consensus regarding the best form of treatment for each stage of the disease.
In addition, the causes of prostate cancer are multiple, incorporating familial (genetic) elements, as well as probable racial, cultural, and environmental factors, such as diet.