Prostate Cancer: What is the Future of Treatment?

What is prostate gland and prostate cancer?
The prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system. It is a walnut-sized small organ located between the bladder and the penis. The prostate is just in front of your rectum. The urethra runs through the center of the prostate allowing urine flow out of the body.

Prostate cancer is the cancer of prostate. It is the most common cancer in men. But it is largely treatable if diagnosed and treated early. Regular screening is the most effective way for early diagnosis and proper and timely treatment of the disease.

Read about prostate gland location and prostate gland function.

Recent controlled clinical trials for prostate cancer prospective treatment options 
DNA repair defects, particularly in the Homologous Recombination pathway such as BRCA1, BRCA2, ATM and CHEK2 are emerging as potential biomarkers in prostate cancer. It is very much known BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers have better progression-free survival and overall survival than non-carriers in ovarian cancer. Prostate cancer patients who have HR defects have a higher Gleason score 6, which puts them at an increased risk of recurrence and poor prognosis. The predictive role of DRD in prostate cancer was evaluated in a recent study that used Olaparib, a PARP inhibitor, in DRD carriers. The study demonstrated 88% of response rate with Olaparib.

Recent data obtained from clinical studies have demonstrated that there is an important association between HR deficient high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC), high neoantigen load and high expression of PD-1/PD-L1 compared with HR proficient HGSOCs 10. According to this study titled “Nivolumab in Prostate Cancer With DNA Repair Defects (ImmunoProst Trial) (ImmunoProst)” conducted by Hospital Moinhos de Vento and Bristol-Myers Squibb, BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations increase the number of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and provide a better prognosis. The success of immunotherapy in malignant disorders has indicated possibility that the patient's immune system can be improved to attack established tumors, mainly melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer and kidney cancer. A high mutational burden increases the likelihood of the development of specific neoepitopes that would provide clinical benefits.

Read this interesting article: Can women get prostate cancer?

In yet another study, the focus was to determine whether a 12-week group therapy intervention for patients undergoing Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer can relieve disease-related anxiety and improve quality of life and delay elective treatment of prostate cancer. This study will improve our understanding of anxiety in men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and are undergoing Active Surveillance. Patients will be randomly assigned to either a control group, who will receive no treatment, but continue to follow up with their urologist to manage their prostate cancer as usual. Patients will be monitored for anxiety. If patients require further therapy beyond the group treatment sessions, they may be referred to a psychologist or psychiatrist for further treatment schedule.

Advanced current research on genes in association with prostate cancer is helping researchers better understand how prostate cancer develops and about the clinical pathways. This may make it possible to develop medicines to target those genetic changes. Tests to find abnormal prostate cancer genes could also help men at high risk benefit from screening or from chemoprevention.

Most genetic mutations that have been investigated so far and that might increase prostate cancer risk are from chromosomes that are inherited from both parents. Some research has identified that mitochondrial DNA, which is inherited from mothers, might also put a man at risk of developing prostate cancer.

Researchers are also investigation for foods that can help the risk of prostate cancer. Scientists have found some items such as lycopenes and isoflavones that are present in foods and that might help prevent prostate cancer. Trials are being conducted to look for the possible effects of these compounds better.