A recent research paper published in Oncotarget, a weekly peer-reviewed open access medical journal focusing on all aspects of oncology, reveals that researchers from UR Medicine’s Wilmot Cancer Institute and Roswell Park Cancer Institute have identified a potential new tool for predicting the recurrence of prostate cancer post-surgery based on the expression patterns of four specific genes.
Given that prostate cancer is the most prevalent cancer among men and its incidence is expected to increase with an aging population, finding a reliable method to predict its progression is crucial.
“Our study aimed to enhance the prediction tools used in these cases so that oncologists can more accurately determine when to recommend additional treatments, such as radiotherapy, immediately after surgery,” stated Hucky Land, Ph.D., the lead researcher.
Land’s laboratory identified a significant group of non-mutated genes actively involved in cancer development. By analyzing the expression of this gene set in frozen prostate cancer tissue samples, researchers discovered a four-gene signature that exhibited different expression patterns in cases where prostate cancer later recurred.
The Wilmot/Roswell Park tool was able to predict recurrence with 83 percent accuracy based on human tissue samples and known patient outcomes. Currently, the only other method for estimating tumor aggressiveness is the Gleason score, a grading system for prostate tumors.
At Reno CyberKnife, we treat men with prostate cancer using the CyberKnife® Robotic Radiosurgery System. The CyberKnife system is a painless, nonsurgical treatment technology that delivers high-dose radiation to the tumor using a linear accelerator mounted on a highly maneuverable robotic arm. This system enables radiation to be precisely contoured to the shape of the prostate, targeting the gland while avoiding nearby critical structures. This precision reduces the treatment duration to just five outpatient visits, compared to the average 45 visits required by conventional radiation therapy.
Numerous clinical studies have demonstrated that the CyberKnife system provides an effective, non-invasive way to treat prostate cancer with a very low likelihood of side effects. If you or a loved one has recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer and have questions about treatment options, or would like a second opinion, please contact Reno CyberKnife today.