The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a state-of-the-art method for identifying prostate cancer cells that have metastasized to other organs, The New York Times reports. Thirty years in the making, the trial may soon improve prostate cancer treatment.
Prostate cancer is more common in men over 65, especially those with a family history or who are genetically susceptible to the disease. In a given year, 174,600 men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 31,600 will die of it. The frequency with which the disease is prevented and treated is a priority oncology.
By performing prostate cancer cells on a PET scan, the new test identifies whether metastasis has occurred and if so, where. The ability to access visual representation of cancer metastases can increase treatment specificity, allowing physicians to rely on targeted radiation for
“Prostate cancer is the most exciting thing in my life,” Kirsten Greene, MD, chair of the urology department at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, told the Times.
The experiment has its roots in a discovery made almost three decades ago. In the 1990s, cancer researchers discovered that prostate cancer cells secrete specific proteins on their surfaces that are detected by small molecules. Realizing the potential of this physiological quay, they began designing an experiment that used these molecules to find prostate cancer cells hidden in distant nappies. In studies conducted at UCLA and UCSF over the past few years, the test confirmed that they can identify prostate cancer cells both before and after treatment.
“It’s just brilliant,” said A. Oliver Sartor, MD, professor of medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine. He welcomed the news of the trial’s license with ports in his office and “a toast of imaginary champagne,” he said.
To make this test widely available, doctors in some ways fly blind. Although blood tests can diagnose prostate cancer by identifying high levels of the specific protein antigen (PSA), they cannot identify the exact location of the cancer cells – meaning whether they are restricted to the prostate or whether they have already metastasized. MRI can provide some evidence of metastasis, but in many cases, the only option is treatment first – which may involve prostatectomy to remove the prostate to partially or completely – and then check for PSA levels to see if the cancer has recurred.
The FDA’s approval currently only extends to trials at UCLA and UCSF, both of which are currently investigating how the new medical innovation affects patients ’survival. But several companies are hoping to market the new test more widely and perhaps even innovate to deliver drugs directly to prostate cancer cells.
To learn more about this test, read “PSMA PET-CT accurately detects the spread of prostate cancer, test demonstrations. ”And to read about another innovation in the treatment of prostate cancer, see“ Ultrasound Abbreviation that is so minimally invasive can treat prostate cancer. ”