New Research on How Prostate Cancer Develops
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New research in the UK has revealed new information on how prostate cancer may begin developing in men. Scientists underwent this study at the UK’s University of East Anglia. Molecular Oncology published the study here.
Essentially, the study has shown that prostates in men with prostate cancer and without it differ in more than just the presence of cancer cells. The differences lie even in the non-cancerous cells that may seem ordinary. According to the study, the entire prostate may be at risk of developing cancerous tissues.
How does this new research translate to treatment though?
What this new research might mean for treatment is that it may be more effective to focus on the prostate as a whole. Which would change how doctors usually approach treating prostate cancer; treating sections of the prostate.
Additionally, scientists are hopeful that these new discoveries will aid them in their comprehension of the disease. As well as, potentially helping them to prevent prostate cancer.
This is could make a significant difference to men with prostate cancer since it is the most prominent type of cancer in men.
One of the complications of prostate cancer is that cancerous tissue can develop in various areas of the organ. Scientists decided to undergo this study when they posed the question: Does this happen because of shifts in healthy prostate cells across the whole organ?
What drives cancer?
Cancerous tissue develops due to changes in a cell’s DNA. This means DNA is an incredibly important aspect of prostate cancer. If they wanted to understand its formation they had to study the DNA of healthy and cancerous prostate tissue samples.
With a large enough array of tissue samples they were able to compare the differences between healthy cells and cancerous cells. In turn, this helped them extrapolate what changes occurred in the DNA of different samples. With that, this new research revealed new data and information on how cancer develops and grows.
The study concluded that men with prostate cancer had a higher number of mutations in the DNA of their ‘normal’ cells. More mutations than say the ‘normal’ cells of a man without prostate cancer. This large dataset also revealed that even the mutations themselves differ between men with prostate cancer and without it.
In men that did have prostate cancer, their normal cells seemed to create an environment more conducive to producing cancerous cells. Which suggests that the whole organ itself is more likely to develop prostate cancer and for it to grow.
Although this new research has vastly advanced scientists’ understanding of prostate cancer and how it begins to develop in men, what causes it is they are yet to determine. However, it shows great promise in helping us to treat it better and even prevent it someday.
Check our resources section for further information. Where you can also find inspiration from success and survival stories. Or we can help you connect with a prostate cancer survivor.
If you have any questions, or just want to talk, call us at our toll-free hotline: 1(833)HEAL-MEN. You are not alone in this journey. We are here to help guide and support you through it, every step of the way.
