Researchers from the University of South Australia (UniSA) have discovered three new biomarkers that can help identify and differentiate aggressive forms of prostate cancer.
This breakthrough could help determine the appropriate treatment path for each patient, guiding between immediate, radical treatment versus close monitoring.
Identifying Aggressive Cases
Prostate cancer results in over 300,000 deaths annually.
Led by Professor of Molecular Medicine Doug Brooks, an international team of scientists made the breakthrough that aids pathologists in visualizing prostate cancer in patient tissue samples.
When used together, the new biomarkers allow clinicians to accurately assess the progress of the disease and confirm its grade.
From Research to Clinical Practice
The research, published in the journal Cancers, is expected to significantly improve patient management and treatment outcomes given that over a million men are diagnosed with prostate cancer worldwide each year.
The UniSA team collaborated with Australian company Envision Sciences on the technology.
Envision Sciences, which funded the development and translation of the technology, has now signed a commercialization agreement with Quest Diagnostics, the largest tissue diagnostic pathology company in the US.
If successful in the US, clinical trials of the technology are expected to be conducted in Australia.
High Expectations for New Biomarkers
“The biomarkers are remarkably sensitive and specific in accurately visualizing the progress of the cancer and confirming its grade,” said Prof Brooks.
“This discovery has led to the commercial development of a test designed to determine how advanced and aggressive the cancer is and whether immediate treatment is needed.”
The partnership between UniSA and Envision Sciences represents an exciting development in cancer research, and the new technology is expected to shift the way clinicians grade and predict the aggressiveness of prostate cancer.
If you care about cancer risk, please read studies about daily food directly linked to cancer risk and daily beverages that may lower prostate cancer risk.
For more information about cancer risk, please see recent studies about common vegetables that may help lower your cancer risk, and results showing that Omega-3 supplements may increase your cancer risk a little bit.
The study was published in Cancers. Follow us on Twitter for more articles about this topic.
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