Prostate Cancer go Bye-Bye

Dr Galen · 07-02-2010 3:35pm #1

From RTE.ie

Breakthrough in prostate cancer research
listen Friday, 5 February 2010 16:23

Researchers in Cork say they have created a vaccine which could in the future be used to effectively protect against prostate cancer.

The Cork Cancer Research Centre at University College Cork says it has identified DNA vaccines that are able to target and destroy cancer cells.

The project is halfway through a process that is estimated to take up to 15 years to complete.
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About 1,900 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in Ireland each year. It is the second most common form of cancer diagnosed in men in this country and up to 900 men die of the disease each year.

Researchers at the Cork Cancer Research Centre at UCC have been working to develop DNA vaccines that activate the immune system against prostate cancer - they say they have created vaccines that have been highly successful in animal trials.

It is hoped that human clinical trials will get under way next year.

Dr Mark Tangney, the principal investigator involved in the research, says the vaccines have been able to seek out and destroy secondary cancerous cells that have spread to other parts of the body.

The vaccines stimulate the immune system, producing anti-bodies that help protect against the disease.

Dr Tangney says that it could be possible to create vaccines for various forms of cancer in the future.

The research is published today in the international journal Genetic Vaccines and Therapy.

OK so maybe not bye bye just yet, but this looks very promising. With human trials due to start next year, you could be looking at about 5 years before this would be cleared for use all going well that is.

This could be the huuuuuuge for the male of the species. Prostate cancer is a yucky, horrible mutha ****er of a disease. There are people posting on this forum who as it stands today, will get it and will die from it.

While we are waiting and hoping though for this work to go through, its still so important for any of you slightly greyer gents to be getting checked out. No pussying about lads, go get it done

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Condo131 · 07-02-2010 5:58pm

Sure is promising......However...they are at least 7 to 15 years from commercial production!! .....so don't sit around waiting for the miracle cure!

There is massive progress being made right across the Cancer spectrum, but there is still a long way to go....but we'll get there.

In the meantime....lads...if you're over 50..or over 40 and have a father, sibling or other close relative who has been diagnosed with PC...GET YOURSELF CHECKED OUT!!!

The initial check is just a simple blood test..no need for rectal examinations at this stage, so don't let that put you off. Even if it shows nothing to be concerned about, you will have a baseline to work off for future reference.

Prostate Cancer is often termed "an old man's disease". This is because the average age at diagnosis is 69. However I know several men who were diagnosed MUCH younger. I was diagnosed at 55, in Jan 2008.

If I hadn't had my routine blood test 4 years ago, I'd now have a life expectancy of another 5 to 6 years to live. I've had surgery and now expect to live for another 35 years or so.

Believe it or not, the day my PC was found, I literally won the Lotto - It saved my life. except for that test, I'd now be feeling 'happy as Larry', without worrying about PC, but have just a few short years to live.

Gents, Do yourselves a favour! Next time you're at the GP..Ask for a PSA test.

Dr Galen · 07-02-2010 6:12pm

Condo131 wrote: »

Prostate Cancer is often termed "an old man's disease". This is because the average age at diagnosis is 69. However I know several men who were diagnosed MUCH younger. I was diagnosed at 55, in Jan 2008.

I hope your dong well, it certainly seems like you've got the right attitude young man

as for the age thing, having worked in the area, I have seen men in their early forties being diagnosed. Your totally right, it appears that the age profile for the disease is getting slightly younger, but even if its not hugely statistically significant, the fact that I have seen it happen, numerous times, makes me not want to one of those exceptions!

Condo131 · 10-02-2010 5:27pm

I don't think it's quite that the age profile is getting younger, but that a) more people are getting screened at a younger age and b), in particular, (and this is simply my own thinking on the matter) that a lot of PC detected in younger men tend to be aggressive strains.

For men in general, the absolute VAST MAJORITY of those tested for PC will have nothing detected and the absolute VAST MAJORITY of the rest will have prostate cancers that are termed indolent - you will (eventaully- as everyone does) die but with the cancer NOT because of it.

That's one of the issues with screening. Most people, on diagnosis, want it gone!, even if it is indolent, whereas their quality of life AND life expectancy are FAR BETTER just monitoring it.

Still, imho, I reckon it's better to be checked out early than to find yourself in trouble later.

As regards doing well. Yes, I'm doing damn well! Thank God & touch wood! My GP saved my life the day the PSA check was suggested!

bada_bing · 10-02-2010 5:33pm

Condo131, were there any noticeable symptoms for you prior to being diagnosed with PC? I just wonder what it is that men should look out for.

Condo131 · 10-02-2010 5:54pm

bada_bing wrote: »

Condo131, were there any noticeable symptoms for you prior to being diagnosed with PC? I just wonder what it is that men should look out for.

I had NIL symptoms, even right up to surgery, even though I was, to quote my surgeon "borderline inoperable".

The symptoms to look out for include:
Frequent urge to urinate
Blood in urine or semen
Painful or burning urination (colleague likened this to "pissing razorblades")
Difficulty in urinating
Difficulty in having an erection
Painful ejaculation
Frequent pain or stiffness in lower back, hips, or upper thighs
Inability to urinate, or
Dribbling of urine

These symptoms might have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with PC, so bottom line is ask for a PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) test next time you're at the GP, if you're over 50 or 40, if you have a close relative whose had PC. Chances are that you'll be OK, but you'll have a baseline in any case.

hugoline · 10-02-2010 6:24pm

Thanks Condo131 for sharing this experience!

I am not in the 'age' category yet to be regularly tested. My grandfather (almost 80) more than likely died because of PC and my dad caught it at a very early stage (thanks to the PSA check, he did not display any of the other symptoms either) and had it surgically removed about 5 years ago. So it's a pretty safe bet what will be happening with me in a few years

I am a research scientist myself with a programmed cell death/immunity background (so not the specialist on prostate cancer but I understand the research done by Tangney's group and obviously have a personal interest in the subject).

IMHO the press release is only for PR. The actual scientific paper shows that the vaccine reduces (and not prevents or eliminates) metastasis. Saying that the vaccine will protect against prostate cancer is purely wrong.
Additionally it has only been tried on a small group of mice which doesn't boost my confidence in the results (and neither does the journal where the work was published).
A lot more experimental work has to be done before this comes even close to be tried in humans (and even then it will take another 5-10 years until the 'vaccine' is actually on the market).

Saying this, a lot is done at the moment to find a treatment for PC (and other cancers) but also to diagnose it earlier.
I am not expecting to have a perfect cure available in 20 years when it will probably be my time but I am confident that the testing sensitivity and accuracy will improve over the years and that the side-effects of the treatment (removal or treatment) will be further reduced.

djk1000 · 10-02-2010 6:36pm

Aside from the welcome implications of this, hopefully it means there will be no need for an erm, physical examination of the prostate in the future.

Condo131 · 10-02-2010 9:49pm

hugoline wrote: »

.......a lot is done at the moment to find a treatment for PC (and other cancers) but also to diagnose it earlier.

I agree fully with your post. More critical than identifying it earlier (but that's needed too!) is to identify which cancers will kill prematurely and which can be monitored or given less radical treatment.

Condo131 · 10-02-2010 10:06pm

djk1000 wrote: »

Aside from the welcome implications of this, hopefully it means there will be no need for an erm, physical examination of the prostate in the future.

You don't need a physical examination or DRE (digital rectal examination) unless there is suspicion of PC. As a layman, I'd be of the opinion that a suspicious PSA result, possibly, but not necessarily, with symptoms would be necessary before a DRE is warranted.

In any case, imho, most of those haven't a bulls of what they're looking for. They know where to put the finger, but not what they're doing with it. My first consultant couldn't find anything on a DRE, whereas the Second Opinion guy reckoned it was "borderline inoperable"....and he was right!

So, don't worry about the DRE - it shouldn't be necessary until you're already on the rollercoaster.

oth, PSA testing isn't the holy grail either....but taht's another story again...

Prostate Cancer go Bye-Bye

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