Recommended

Cancer Cure 2017: New Tests Could Unlock Personalized Prostate Cancer Treatment

A new three-in-one blood test could hold the key to curing advanced prostate cancer via the use of precision drugs. Scientists have found that some men might benefit from using these drugs that target mutations in BRCA genes.

This new method of testing could open the door to personalized treatments that target specific gene mutations. By detecting cancer DNA in blood samples, researchers will be able to identify men with defective BRCA genes and treat them with drugs called Parp inhibitors.

The tests will also help patients who are unresponsive to their current treatment by switching them to other forms of treatment. But most importantly, it can be used to pick up cancer mutations that show early signs of drug-resistance.

Get Our Latest News for FREE

Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know.

The research was conducted at the Institute of Cancer Research in London under the leadership of Prof. Johann de Bono. He announced that they were able to develop a powerful, three-in-one test that could prove useful to doctors in the treatment and long-term monitoring of cancer.

"We think it could be used to make clinical decisions about whether a Parp inhibitor is working within as little as four to eight weeks of starting therapy," said de Bono. "Not only could the test have a major impact on treatment of prostate cancer, but it could also be adapted to open up the possibility of precision medicine to patients with other types of cancer as well," he added.

Parp inhibitor treatments could prove to be the standard treatment in the future. However, the treatments can only be used for those with defective BRCA genes given that cancer cells with functional BRCA genes do not need Parp to live.

Dr. Matthew Hobbs, from the Prostate Cancer U.K. charity, said that treatment needs to start moving away from one-size-fits-all treatments and embrace personalized treatments. The charity is behind the research which yielded these new discoveries.

Was this article helpful?

Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone.

By making a recurring donation or a one-time donation of any amount, you're helping to keep CP's articles free and accessible for everyone.

We’re sorry to hear that.

Hope you’ll give us another try and check out some other articles. Return to homepage.

Most Popular

More Articles