Prostate Cancer News: Personalized Radiotherapy Treatment Key to Effective Treatment, Study Reveals
A study has revealed that a personalized radiotherapy treatment may be the key to curing prostate cancer.
The Institute of Cancer Research in London has revealed that doctors can be helped in the adjustment of the treatment of doses to prostate cancer patients by analyzing several genetic variables. The study, which was presented at the National Cancer Research Institute's (NCRI) Cancer Conference in Liverpool recently, found that specific genetic characteristics could predict specific side-effects - specifically rectal bleeding when prostate cancer patients undergo radiotherapy treatment.
In a radiotherapy treatment for prostate cancer, some men end up suffering from side effects as they may receive a higher dose than what is required, while others are given too little that affect the efficacy of the treatment. Dr. Iain Frame, Director of Research at Prostate Cancer U.K., revealed that there are more than 330,000 men with prostate cancer or who have survived one in the U.K. alone that have been afflicted with the life-lasting side effects of radiotherapy treatment, including bowel problems and erectile dysfunction. Because of the findings of the study, a personalized radiotherapy treatment for prostate cancer can be used in the future.
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"Advances in technology have enabled us to combine what we've learnt from decades of research into radiotherapy. For the first time, we can now look at the full complexity of a patient's genetics, medical history and treatment, to predict if they are at risk of side effects. We hope that our method can be used to personalise radiotherapy for patients based on this risk, improving the chances of a cure and also minimizing the side effects suffered," Dr. Navita Somaiah, co-lead researcher at The Institute of Cancer Research in London, explained.
Meanwhile, it has also been revealed at National Cancer Research Institute's Cancer Conference that men with abnormally low levels of testosterone are less likely to develop prostate cancer. While it remains unclear as to what really causes prostate cancer, researchers have identified age, ethnicity, and genetic mutations as risk factors.
